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Match details

England vs Namibia
June 15, Antigua, 1pm local time

Big picture: England breathe easier after statement win

Have the real England stood up at last? The jury, if truth be told, is probably still considering its verdict. For if one and a quarter matches was an insufficient sample size to assess their early-tournament woes against Scotland and Australia, then a 19-ball run-chase against an outclassed Oman can hardly count as proof that all is right once again with the defending world champions.But at least the speed and certainty of that Oman performance – conducted against the clock as much as their opponents – has placed England’s progress back in their own hands… sort of. By vaulting their net run rate up over that of the Scots’ (3.08 to 2.16), they can now breathe easier in the knowledge that another comfortable victory against Namibia should be enough to keep them on course for the Super Eight.Of course, there is – and will remain – a seed of uncertainty so long as Scotland still have a chance of landing the shock of the tournament by beating Australia in Group B’s final match on Sunday, but with Pat Cummins having officially declared that the Spirit of Cricket is at stake in that contest after a week of speculation about go-slows, it’s safe to assume that the Aussies will give their all, as they invariably do on the world stage.England put in a commanding performance against Oman to revive their qualification hopes•ICC via Getty Images

They certainly did just that in bowling Namibia out for 72 in Antigua on Tuesday. It was a performance of near-identical dominance to England’s crushing of Oman – it was all wrapped up in a 34-ball run-chase, to England’s 19, by nine wickets to England’s eight, and with their star legspinner Adam Zampa claiming 4 for 12 to Adil Rashid’s 4 for 11. The only real difference was in the resistance offered by Namibia’s captain, Gerhard Erasmus, in his doughty 36 from 43 balls.England have no room for complacency given their uncertainties of the past week, but if this team truly is forged in the image of its captain Buttler, then confidence surely begets confidence. They have restored a degree of agency to their tournament narrative. It would be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history if they let that qualification chance slip now, before Scotland have had their shot at ruining the party on Sunday.

Form guide

England: WLWWL
Namibia: LLTWW

In the spotlight – Adil Rashid and David Wiese

He took a couple of matches in this tournament to get fully back up to speed – which isn’t entirely surprising seeing as his displays against Pakistan last month were his first competitive outings since February – but against Oman, Adil Rashid‘s game was in perfect working order. His analysis included a remarkable 20 dot-balls, as his command of flight and variation demanded guesswork from an inexperienced Oman middle-order, and if he can produce a similar four-over display against Namibia, that ought to be ample to expose the gulf between the teams. Looking ahead to the Super Eight (as England, tentatively, can now allow themselves to do), the sight of a settled Rashid, growing into his work, augurs extremely well for the defending champions’ prospects.Never say never, but at the age of 39, and with at least two years until Namibia’s next shot at an ICC world tournament, this could be a last hurrah on the big stage for the mighty David Wiese – a mainstay of Namibia’s fortunes since he transferred his allegiance back in 2021, having previously played 26 matches for South Africa, including a role at the 2016 World T20. He was integral to their only victory so far in this campaign, with three wickets against Oman allied to a stellar Super Over display, but he was less effective against Scotland and Australia. A reversion to his best could yet cause England a few jitters on Saturday.

Team news

England’s attack nailed its brief in the Oman rout, with Reece Topley’s inclusion for his first match of the tournament providing an awkward left-arm point of difference to complement the 90mph-plus pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. It was all too hot to handle for Oman’s line-up, although there may well be a temptation to rest either or both of the latter given the two-day turnaround between matches, especially now that any old victory will keep England on track for qualification. Sam Curran, the star of England’s title win two years ago, is waiting in the wings for a first outing of the campaign, while Chris Jordan could slot back in too.England (possible): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Jofra Archer/Sam Curran, 9 Mark Wood/Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece TopleyNamibia mixed things up in their last outing against Australia, with Ben Shikongo and Jack Brassell making their first appearances of the campaign – and potentially last as well, after being launched for a combined tally of 33 runs in ten balls in a one-sided run-chase. Of Namibia’s 15-man squad, only the 20-year-old batter Dylan Leicher has yet to be given an outing. With their qualification hopes over, there may be a temptation to reconfigure once again.Namibia (possible): 1 JP Kotze, 2 Nikolaas Davin, 3 Jan Frylinck, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 Malan Kruger, 6 Zane Green (wk), 7 David Wiese, 8 Ruben Trumpelmann, 9 JJ Smit, 10 Bernard Scholtz, 11 Tangeni Lungameni

Pitch and conditions

England found themselves pleasantly surprised by both the carry in the surface for the Oman game, as well as the degree of spin that Rashid extracted. After damp conditions in Barbados, the Antigua leg has been conducted under clearer skies, so another full contest is in prospect.

Stats and trivia

• Namibia have faced England just once before in a full international contest – at Port Elizabeth during the 2003 World Cup, when Rudi van Vuuren and Jan-Berrie Burger starred in a spirited 55-run defeat.
• Moeen Ali needs one wicket to reach 50 in T20Is.
• Erasmus has the potential for twin milestones: he needs three wickets to reach 50 in T20Is, and 60 runs to reach 1500.

Quotes

“There were obviously a few negatives flying around and questions being asked, and I’m really pleased for the bowling unit that we came out and managed to put on a performance.”

Big picture

After a rust-ridden defeat in a low-scoring first T20I, India reasserted themselves the next day, showing just how high their ceiling can be with both bat and ball.Zimbabwe remain dangerous opponents, nonetheless, but one with clear limitations, and if they already had an arduous task ahead of them to convert 1-1 into a series win, it has only become harder. India will be strengthened with the arrival of three players who were part of their victorious T20 World Cup campaign: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube.Zimbabwe will need to be smart about how they approach the remainder of this series. They’ll need to keep drilling the basics – dropped catches may have exaggerated their margin of defeat in the second T20I – but they’ll also need to be realistic with their ambitions and understand that young players – they left out experienced seniors such as Sean Williams and Craig Ervine for this series – will take time to come into their own.”A lot of mistakes our youngsters have made have been due to lack of [experience] and not so much to do with their skills, so that’s a positive as well,” Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said after the second T20I. “As they play, as they continue to find their feet in international cricket, they’ll learn. We all have been there.”Related

• How often have Zimbabwe beaten India in an official international match?

• Abhishek Sharma's territory is expanding

• Stats – Abhishek Sharma hits India's third-fastest T20I hundred

• Raza 2.0 gives Zimbabwe party to remember

Form guide

Zimbabwe LWWLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WLWWW

In the spotlight

In two innings so far in this series, Brian Bennett has made a 15-ball 22 and a nine-ball 26. He has shown he is one of the potential game-changers in this Zimbabwe side with his clean striking at No. 3 and his offspin, and he could yet win them a game or two in this series, particularly if he gets to spend a good amount of time at the crease.He didn’t get to play a match during India’s World Cup campaign, and missed the first two games of this series because he was part of their celebrations back home. Now it’s finally time for Sanju Samson. He’s only played 25 T20Is in the nearly nine years since his debut, but now he’s potentially locked in for three back-to-back games and will hope he can make the best of the opportunity.India’s bowlers made it very hard work for Zimbabwe in the second T20I•Associated Press

Team news

Zimbabwe captain Raza is averse to chopping and changing as a reaction to Sunday’s defeat, but he said after the game that the left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava would come in if he cleared a fitness test. “If he’s fit to go, he’s straight back in.”Zimbabwe XI (probable): 1 Innocent Kaia, 2 Wessly Madhevere, 3 Brian Bennett, 4 Dion Myers, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Johnathan Campbell, 7 Clive Madande (wk), 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Luke Jongwe/Richard Ngarava, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Tendai Chatara.The returns of Jaiswal, Samson and Dube complicate India’s selection. Jaiswal is set to come in for B Sai Sudharsan, who made his debut in the second T20I but didn’t get to face a ball, but will he open or bat in the middle order? And who will Dube displace? Samson’s case is simpler; he will likely replace his Rajasthan Royals team-mate Dhruv Jurel. Whatever combination India go with, they could find themselves with at least two top-order players batting lower than their preferred slots.India XI (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sanju Samson (wk), 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Mukesh Kumar.

Pitch and conditions

On the eve of the match, India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad summed up the conditions at Harare Sports Club succinctly in his pre-match press conference.”Yes, definitely the conditions are challenging,” he said. “It is a bit unique. When there is some seam movement, you can still negotiate it if it is coming at one pace. But I feel it is a little double-paced here, there is a little variable bounce. So, there is a bit of difference because of that. [As long as] the ball is new, it is slightly tougher to score runs, but once the ball is old, fast boundaries, relatively small boundaries straight, you can still convert your runs after that.”The forecast for Wednesday promises a clear, sunny day with maximum temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius.Sunday was better than Saturday for India’s stand-in Shubman Gill and his boys•AFP/Getty Images

Stats and trivia

The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Karachi from August 30 to September 3 will be played without the presence of spectators because of ongoing construction work at the National StadiumThe development is part of an upgrade as the PCB renovates its venues ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy in February-March. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is also undergoing an upgrade ahead of Pakistan’s first ICC tournament since 1996, when they co-hosted the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka, which rules it out as a venue until February 2025.ESPNcricinfo understands a decision was taken to keep the Test in Karachi because the PCB was keen on spreading their seven home Tests, ODIs and domestic cricket across three venues in Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi. Multan, which was the only other option, is slated to host Pakistan’s first Test against England from October 7. And with various payments having already been made, for hotels, flights and security arrangements, moving to another venue at late notice would’ve incurred losses on a series that is already not expected to be a lucrative one.There is no change in plans for the England Test scheduled in Karachi from October 15, with spectators expected to be in attendance.Related

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• Naseem back in Test squad, Shakeel named vice-captain for Bangladesh series

• Mushfiqur, Taskin back in Bangladesh Test squad for Pakistan series

• Masood, Gillespie want more Test cricket for Pakistan

Calling it a “difficult decision”, the PCB has suspended ticket sales for the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Karachi with immediate effect. The board had advertised sales for tickets to the Karachi Test as recently as two days ago.”The health and safety of our fans is our utmost priority,” the board said in a statement. “After careful consideration of all available options, we have decided that the safest course of action is to hold the second Test in front of an empty stadium.”While we deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause, we want to assure our valued fans that the ongoing stadium upgrades are aimed at enhancing their experience.”The Bangladesh squad landed in Lahore four days earlier than planned to begin training after the players’ preparation had been disrupted due to the ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh. The team will train for three days at Gaddafi Stadium before travelling to Rawalpindi for the first Test that begins on August 21.The departure ahead of schedule was possible after an invitation from the PCB to the BCB to ensure the Bangladesh players had “adequate and fair training opportunities” ahead of the Tests.Bangladesh previous bilateral tour of Pakistan was in 2020, but that trip was cut short because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sixteen years after acquiring land from the Karnataka government to expand their cricketing infrastructure, the BCCI on Friday inaugurated its new state-of-the-art National Cricket Academy, which will be known as the ‘Centre of Excellence’, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah unveiled the facility to the officer bearers, which when fully functional from early 2025, will take over as board’s primary centre for training, sports science, rehabilitation and injury management. The operations from the existing NCA premises at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium are expected to be shifted out in a phased manner.The facility, housed in a 40-acre campus, comprises three grounds, built as per ICC’s regulations to host first-class cricket, an indoor facility comprising surfaces imported from the UK and Australia apart from local surfaces – both red and black soil – and a vast expansive outdoor nets area featuring 45 pitches. There is also a separate area designated to house BCCI’s Sports Science and Medicine Block and lodging facilities.Related

• VVS Laxman's 'better than world's best' new Centre of Excellence will oversee India's growing talent pool

• VVS Laxman to continue as head of the National Cricket Academy

The main venue comprises modern floodlights, a sub-air drainage system, broadcast facilities and 13 red-soil surfaces brought in from Mumbai, which VVS Laxman, the NCA head, hopes can host ‘A’ tour games as soon as it is operational.Grounds B and C will serve as dedicated practice grounds, comprising black soil surfaces brought in locally from southern Karnataka and Odisha. The facility also has an indoor and outdoor athletics track, apart from pool and recovery facilities, which will also be made available to athletes from other disciplines. Seven acres of land has been set aside for future expansion.”I think the beneficiaries will be not only the future generation of cricketers but also the current generation of cricketers,” Laxman said during a media interaction on Saturday. ” Since the time I joined the NCA in December 2021, all the cricketers, they come here, not only for rehab. Obviously, there is a misconception that the cricketers come only for rehab. But they come to the NCA to upskill, get ready for the challenges during the various series they are going to participate in.”I am sure that all the players who come to this facility, all the players who will be part of this programme will strive to achieve excellence, will strive to become the best they can. And in the process, the Indian cricket team in all the formats will probably be the best in the world.”VVS Laxman at BCCI’s newly inaugurated Centre of Excellence•PTI

For the longest time, the BCCI has envisioned a centre of excellence similar to ECB’s facility in Loughborough or Cricket Australia’s facility in Brisbane. The land on which it has been built had to pass several litigation hurdles, which at one point had the BCCI mulling over the possibility of moving it outside the city. The project finally received clearance in late 2020, with work starting in early 2022 after a forced delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”The target for completion was 15 months,” Laxman said. “I was a bit skeptical, but the way work has progressed right from the time construction began has been remarkable. I have been to some of the best academies in the world, not only limited to cricket, but other sports also. But I have not seen this kind of a facility.With the upscaling of the NCA, Laxman underlined a number of aspects of their functioning that could be enhanced once the facility is fully functional. “The programmes we run, because the way the programmes run, all the best performers right from your under-15 for women and under-16 for boys are selected by the national selectors and from April, during the off-season, until September, we have various programmes,” he said.”We conducted close to 32 camps during this period for both boys and girls, but usually these happen in different parts of the country. And with the KSCA, we get the ground to have some of these camps. Whereas here with three grounds, I think we can have a lot more programmes. Also these grounds can be used to have some India A series, which can be played on these surfaces here.”The most important thing is, there are three different kinds of soils. What we want is the players to know how to adapt to different conditions. So in one place, instead of them travelling from one city to other city, they can have the experience and exposure of playing in different soils and different kinds of pitches, you know, which will enhance their performance.”

Club captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his fourth successive half-century since returning from injury to inspire another Worcestershire recovery on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship derby with Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.D’Oliveira had come to the wicket just over a week ago with Worcestershire 10 for 4 on the opening morning versus Essex at Chelmsford and his 68 helped his side rally to 266 all out on their way to a 43-run success. That followed his 97 during the home win over Kent and for good measure he hit another 51 in the second innings against Essex.Here, his side were struggling at 67 for 4 in testing conditions when he walked out to the middle and was again the cornerstone of a fightback with the top score of 76.D’Oliveira received excellent support from Adam Hose, fit again Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek in partnerships of 49, 76 and 43.He had missed the entire Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign whilst having extensive rehab to a shoulder problem which has troubled him for the past year. But the treatment seems to have paid handsome dividends for the 32-year-old who has been in prime form since the Championship programme recommenced.Waite also made his mark with a fluent half-century on his return to action after nearly two months on the sidelines with a side strain.Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, added three more scalps to take his tally for the season to 46 and again bowled impressively.Worcestershire gave a Championship debut to young Academy pace bowler Jack Home who last week signed a three-year contract after taking 16 wickets in five games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Warwickshire made one change from the side which had defeated Kent with spinner Danny Briggs replacing Jacob Bethell.Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies put the home side into bat on a wicket where the bounce was variable, particularly when bowling from the New Road End, and Hannon-Dalby made the first breakthrough when Jake Libby pushed forward to a delivery which nipped away and was caught behind.Kashif Ali, who had scored two centuries in the corresponding game at Edgbaston, provided keeper Michael Burgess with another catch off former Worcestershire allrounder Ed BarnardGareth Roderick had his middle stump knocked back by Michael Rae and then Ethan Brookes, promoted to No. 4, was lbw to Hannon-Dalby on his return to the attack with a delivery which swung back in. Hose and D’Oliveira battled through to lunch at 77 for 4 from 30 overs.D’Oliveira pulled Rushworth for four to bring up the 100 in 39.3 overs. The fifth wicket pair extended their partnership to 49 but Hose, having battled for nearly two hours for 33, drove at Barnard and was pouched at second slipWaite was full of positive intent from the start and collected four boundaries at Barnard’s expense in two overs.He was the dominate figure in a half-century partnership with D’Oliveira and completed his own fifty from 71 balls with nine fours.The afternoon session produced 111 runs from 34 overs for the loss of one wicket. But Waite added only one more run before he was lbw to Rae after he switched ends to end a stand of 76.D’Oliveira reached another excellent half century from 115 balls when he late cut Briggs for his seventh boundary. He found another staunch ally in van Beek in adding 43 for the seventh wicket but on 76 was finally caught low down at first slip by Yates off Will Rhodes.The second new ball accounted for van Beek with a third scalp for Hannon-Dalby thanks to Yates again showing a safe pair of hands, this time at second slip.But Home, who hit Barnard for the first six of the game backward of square, and Tom Taylor earned Worcestershire a precious batting point before the close during an unbroken stand of 52.

Cricket Australia’s CEO Nick Hockley has defended the selectors’ decision to rest Australia’s Test players from the series-deciding ODI loss to Pakistan in Perth, but has revealed that CA is looking closely at the travel schedule for next summer’s white-ball series against India prior to Ashes to try and ensure Australia can field its best XI more often.CA and Australia’s selectors have faced some public criticism in the aftermath of Sunday’s ODI series loss when Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne were all rested from the trip to Perth to freshen up before the first Test, despite an 11-day gap between the last ODI and the first Test, which is also in Perth, from November 22.But it is understood it had been long-planned from when the schedule was announced that the fast bowlers in particular would rest from the final ODI ahead of the Test series with a massive summer including seven Tests across the Border-Gavaskar series and the Sri Lanka tour, followed by the Champions Trophy.Related

• Pakistan quicks set up famous series win in Australia

• When Pakistan turned the land down under into upside-down land

Australia’s strength and conditioning and medical staff have strong historical data that suggests that their fast bowlers are at huge risk of injury off a one-day break with a lengthy flight included, as was the case with the third ODI in Perth scheduled on Sunday, just two days after the second ODI in Adelaide. Australia experienced a very recent example of that issue in the UK when they lost six fast bowlers to injury, even without the issue of lengthy domestic flights included.It is understood that even if the third ODI was in Sydney, it is unlikely the three quicks would have played all three matches in any case although the match that they rested may have changed.”The amount of planning and work that goes into into squad selection and preparation across three formats, it is incredible in the detail they go to,” Hockley said at the MCG on Tuesday.”Certainly, in terms of the Test players, we want to get them through what’s effectively seven Test matches, kind of back to back, and then for the all-format players into the Champions Trophy. It was felt on this occasion it was in the best interest of the overall priorities for the summer that they miss out on the third ODI.”Hockley said the lessons of last week will be fresh in the mind when CA finalises the schedule for next summer’s white-ball series against India, which leads into the Ashes.”I think we will have a look at that,” Hockley said. “I think what this schedule has really shone a spotlight on is that the travel schedule into such a big series is critical again. This is about thinking ahead and getting players through in the best possible condition. So, yeah, as we look to the schedule for next year, we’ll get right into the detail to make sure that the travel schedule is optimised so we can continue to put our best possible XI on the field.”The major issue is that the commercial needs do not necessarily match those of the team. In an ideal world, Australia believe they could field their full-strength XI in all three games of a week-long ODI series if they were spaced out evenly with three-day gaps in between each game. But such a scenario would mean that the middle game of the series would fall on a Wednesday in early November while the work and school year were still in full swing in Australia, which is sub-optimal for broadcasters and venues to maximise viewers and crowd numbers. As a result, there is a preference for Friday and Sunday games on the same weekend with the teams travelling in between.Pakistan played the same XI in all three games, with their four quicks backing up a superb performance in Adelaide with an even better display in Perth. But none of the four played in the last two Tests against England before the tour to Australia, and Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah will both be rested from Pakistan’s upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, which follows this week’s T20I series, to further illustrate the difficulties all countries have of fielding full strength XIs for every international game.”We often have been criticised in the past for not giving new players an opportunity to come in,” Hockley said. “There was a plan in place, and that plan was really to make sure that our all-format players were in absolutely peak condition for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series.”This was obviously a massively disappointing result, but I think a really good opportunity to expose some of the talent that’s coming through to the pressures of international cricket. And on this occasion, I think they were they were found wanting by a very competitive and spirited Pakistan.”

Big picture: Threat of 3-0 overshadows Southee fanfare

From whitewash to whitewash? It would be quite a humbling for New Zealand, after their exploits in India – though there is still time to salvage some pride. While they have been blanked at home by Australia on several recent occasions, those have tended to be two-Test series. Only twice have they lost three out of three in New Zealand: against Australia in 1999-2000, and England in 1962-63.We are not there yet, but it has been a lacklustre series for Tom Latham’s side, their performance marred by dropped catches in Christchurch and a tentativeness that allowed England to run away with the game in Wellington, despite being inserted in ideal seam-bowling conditions. As is the New Zealand way, the response has been measured ahead of the third Test, with a return for Will Young, not a result of selectorial axe-wielding, but to allow Devon Conway time off for the birth of his first child.Young was Player of the Series in India and perhaps he can help them rediscover their mojo from that tour. While their shock 3-0 win kept alive hopes of another World Test Championship appearance, those have now been extinguished, and the sense of a team in transition is likely to continue. Of the XI that beat India in the 2021 WTC final, only Latham, Conway, Kane Williamson and Tim Southee have been involved against England. Conway may return, despite only averaging 21.44 in Tests this year, but Southee is already in the departure lounge after signalling that this series would be his last.It has not been the farewell Southee would have hoped for, despite the romantic notion of bowing out against the same opposition as when he started. His debut in Napier almost 17 years ago coincided with England’s last Test series win in New Zealand, but there was no doubting that Southee was a talent to watch after claiming a five-for then hammering 77 off 40 in a doomed run-chase. Plenty of neutrals will hope that he can summon something fittingly impactful on his last appearance at his home ground, Seddon Park, where the Pavilion End has been temporarily renamed the Tim Southee End for this match.Tim Southee prepares for his farewell match at Seddon Park•Getty Images

For England, while there may be a sense of “job done”, having taken the series with one to play, there is the clear incentive to finish an up-and-down year in Tests with a 10th win from 17. Much of the discussion around the team has been about rebooting and retooling for the challenges ahead – namely India at home next year followed by the Ashes in Australia – but they go into this game with Ben Stokes emphasising the need to take each challenge as it comes.And with more than five months until their next assignment, against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, England’s final outing of 2024 has the potential to linger in the memory. Can Zak Crawley end his bizarre hoodoo against New Zealand? Will Jacob Bethell produce the definitive performance that says he is here to stay in the Test side? Is Chris Woakes quietly becoming a reliable overseas option at the grand old age of 35? This may be a dead rubber in the old sense, where even WTC points will be inconsequential, but there are still points to prove on both sides.

Form guide

New Zealand LLWWW
England WWLLW

In the spotlight: Tim Southee and Zak Crawley

Tim Southee‘s record this year (15 wickets at 61.66) certainly suggests that the time has come, but perhaps the announcement should have been saved for nearer the curtain call. He has been a passenger in the series, repeatedly coming under attack from England’s batters and relegated to batting at No. 11 at Basin Reserve, where he suffered the added ignominy of being the concluding wicket in Gus Atkinson’s hat-trick. Southee’s record for New Zealand speaks for itself but he probably wouldn’t mind his numbers doing the talking (in a good way) one last time.Zak Crawley has experienced more ups and downs than a toaster in an elevator during his time as an England player, and has long since learned to stay level. Whether he is even aware that he averages 10.15 from 10 Tests against New Zealand, across five separate series dating back to his debut at Seddon Park in 2019, is up for debate – and doubtless England won’t factor it into their thinking at all next summer. But just for his own satisfaction, he would surely like to lay a glove on Matt Henry, who has dismissed him four times in 19 deliveries without conceding a run this series.

Team news: Young in for Conway

Young will slot in at opener – having most recently batted at No. 3 – while New Zealand could also opt to bring in Mitchell Santner as a frontline spin option in place of Nathan Smith.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner/Nathan Smith, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O’RourkeEngland’s players filtered into Hamilton under their own steam on Wednesday and were not due to train until Friday. Woakes has been spared a third Test back to back, with Matt Potts coming in for his second appearance of the winter.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ollie Pope (wk), 7 Ben Stokes (capt), 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Matt Potts, 11 Shoaib Bashir

Pitch and conditions: Green from the outset

There has been plenty of rain in the build-up – New Zealand’s training was cut short after 30 minutes on Thursday – and the pitch has largely been under covers. But a glorious Friday meant the pitch was opened up to bright blue skies, and with a balmy weekend forecast, the pitch is likely to get baked. Seddon Park has been something of a stronghold for New Zealand, who have won seven of their last nine Tests there. Most recently, against South Africa in February, the ground saw three scores of under 250 before flattening out for the hosts to comfortably chase 267 three down in the fourth innings. The weather could play a part through the Test, with showers forecast on day three.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand haven’t lost a Test at Seddon Park since South Africa beat them by nine wickets in 2012.
• Kane Williamson averages 94.26 at the ground, with six hundreds – including a career-best 251 against West Indies in 2020.
• England have played two Tests in Hamilton: a high-scoring draw in 2019 and defeat by 189 runs in 2008, which precipitated the dropping of Steven Harmison and Matthew Hoggard for James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
• Having lost 2-0 to Australia earlier in the year, New Zealand could equal their worst losing sequence of five in a row at home, set in 1955-56.
• Joe Root needs 114 runs to become the fifth man to 13,000 in Tests. Gus Atkinson is two wickets shy of 50.

Quotes

“Any Test match you play for New Zealand, it’s another opportunity to perform your skills as best you can. We certainly don’t need any motivation for what we’re trying to do. The crowds that we’ve had, we know we haven’t played to our potential the last couple of games, but hopefully we can put a good show on for the fans. We really appreciate their support.”
“Seventeen [Tests] in a year is a lot when you add the other cricket, long tough slog but a really good year. Played some good cricket, found some extraordinarily talented players who have shown they’re capable of delivering big performances on the biggest stage, which is playing for your country. So overall, really happy.”

Sam Konstas’ mentor Shane Watson has admitted the 19-year-old’s audacious start to Test cricket took even him by surprise, both in terms of the strokeplay and the way he carried himself in the field and with the crowd.Konstas scored 60 off 65 balls on the opening morning at the MCG, regularly scooping Jasprit Bumrah, and had a run-in with Virat Kohli who was fined for a shoulder barge. Later in the game he embraced the crowd when fielding on the boundary and was a vocal presence under the helmet, clearly getting under the skin of Yashasvi Jaiswal during the second innings.”I understood what his game plan was, what plan A was anyway,” Watson said as part of the ICC Champions Trophy tour at the SCG. “So when plan B sort of kicked in quite quickly, within a couple of overs, that was a little surprising. But the one thing that we’ve always talked about is trusting his gut.”Related

• Kohli fined 20% of match fees after heated altercation with Konstas at MCG

• Konstas arrives at the Test arena like a supernova

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While Watson was aware of the range of strokes Konstas had in his locker, even if showing them so early in Test was unexpected, he admitted the character shown in the field was not something he had seen before.”My experience of dealing and working with Sam has been a very quiet, reserved personality,” he said. “[He’s] a very deep thinker and certainly not an extrovert. But obviously what we saw in the Test match is that he absolutely is a showman. And he certainly rose to the occasion, as in he wasn’t overawed.”I know through my experience of debuting…you just put a lot of pressure on yourself because it’s your dream to be able to represent your country, wear the baggy green. But for Sam, it’s superhuman in a way that he sort of just didn’t have any of that at all. You can see it wasn’t put on. That’s just obviously who he is. And again, I hadn’t seen that side of him. It just shows that he’s built for this stage where most people it takes a bit of time to warm up to sort of get into that. Whereas Sam, he obviously just thrives on that.”Konstas has continued to enjoy the trappings of being a Test cricketer since arriving with the squad in Sydney, having photographs with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancée Jodie Haydon during the annual New Year’s Day gathering at Kirribilli House. He also spent time chatting with Kohli, who his brothers took the opportunity to get a photograph with.Albanese joked about his role in Konstas’ rapid rise to the Test side after the century he scored against the Indians in Canberra. “Of course, he got his break in the Prime Minister’s XI [game],” Albanese said. “I’m claiming some of the credit, which is about my only contribution to national cricket.”Shane Watson on Konstas: ‘He’s certainly got all the gears and all the skills to be able to make adjustments’•Getty Images

On Friday, Konstas will become the youngest Australia men’s player to feature in a Test at his home ground of the SCG followed by the prospect of two Tests in vastly different conditions in Sri Lanka. India had already adjusted their tactics by the second innings in Melbourne where Konstas was kept quiet before being bowled by an inducker from Bumrah.”Look it’s going to be a different challenge for him now,” Watson said. “Because he’s shown what his plan B is. And we already saw in that second innings the field positions certainly changed. It’s going to be a good test of his evolution. To be able to continue to work through how he can take the game on against the best bowlers in the world. But he’s certainly got all the gears and all the skills to be able to make those adjustments quickly.”He is technically very correct and waits for loose balls. But he’s also got the other gears to be able to hit the ball down the ground. But when they do have third man fine and fine leg fine, the ramp shot is probably out. But you know what? I thought the ramp shot wasn’t going to come out in the first couple of overs, and it did. Sam will just trust what he feels and go with it. And that’s something very special that he taps into.”Australia captain Pat Cummins said there had been no instructions given to Konstas about how to go about his innings and believed he would be able to adjust to different scenarios.”Think he showed how adaptable he can be,” Cummins said. “That takes a lot of skill first of all, but we always encourage our players just to read the moment, play it how they see fit. For Sam he sensed the moment was to attack and put pressure back on the bowlers and he did that, it might be different this week; it might be ‘I’m going to play a slow game and kind of score runs that way’. Our message is always just to back yourself, have really clear plans and back your decision making.”

Axar Patel has been promoted to being India’s vice-captain, and Hardik Pandya is no longer this team’s deputy. Could that affect T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s dynamics with Hardik, who, come the IPL, will be captaining Suryakumar? Not at all, Suryakumar said on the eve of the first T20I in Kolkata. He might not have the tag of vice-captain, but his “good friend” Hardik remains a key member of India’s T20I leadership group, Suryakumar said.”The relationship with him has been really great. We’ve been playing [together] for a really long time. I still remember that from 2018, when I went back to Mumbai Indians [we first played together] and [it’s the same] till today,” Suryakumar told the media in Kolkata. “It’s just that the added responsibility that I’ve got [here]. When we go back to franchise cricket, I can get to be quiet and relax for a little bit.”But we’ve been good friends on the field and we know what we want going forward with the India team. Axar has been given that added responsibility. We saw what he did in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he’s been with the team for a very long time. At the same time, Hardik is also part of the leading group. When we sit, we decide what we want to do with the team going forward and even on the field, he is always around. We have a lot of captains on the ground.”Related

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Suryakumar – who also took his first steps towards being one of the great T20I batters of his generation under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy at Kolkata Knight Riders – feels the working relationship he has with Gambhir is rock-solid. Since Gambhir took over as coach in mid-2024, India have T20I series wins in Sri Lanka, at home against Bangladesh, and in South Africa, losing just one game across those three series. While their Test form might be under scrutiny, in T20Is, Suryakumar believes they are moving in the “right direction” with Gambhir.”I’ve played under Gambhir for four years, so I know how he works,” Suryakumar said. “Even without speaking to him, we know what we need to do. He wasn’t there on the tour of South Africa since he was preparing with the Test team, but we are moving in the right direction with him. He gives freedom, he allows players to express. He keeps things simple, he knows what is going inside a player’s head. He keeps things light and maintains a good atmosphere.”Sanju Samson is currently India’s first-choice keeper in T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav confirmed•AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.

India’s T20 team is building towards a home World Cup – hosting rights for the tournament in February-March 2026 are split with Sri Lanka – where they will be defending champions. But Suryakumar doesn’t want to think that far ahead for now and instead “enjoy the journey”.”For me it is important that the T20 World Cup is one year away but I don’t want to think about that,” he said. “We want to enjoy the journey to that event instead. We want to make a team, understand which batters work well in which position, which bowlers can win you games single-handedly.”It’s important for a group to play lots of games in the lead up. That’s what Gauti and I will think about. We want to play with this group until the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup.”

No Pant in India’s T20I plans?Neither Rishabh Pant nor KL Rahul is part of this T20I squad, with Sanju Samson – who scored three T20I centuries and maintained a strike rate of 180.16 in 2024 – the incumbent gloveman and Dhruv Jurel his understudy. Suryakumar said that’s a position which is sealed for now.”Currently, there’s no question mark on the wicketkeepers,” he said. “Sanju has done really well in the last 7-10 games and has shown what he’s capable of. It’s what we want from all our players, not just the wicketkeepers but from everyone – to keep the team first. He’s got that opportunity, he’s made full use of it. And I’m happy for him.”Generally, the atmosphere is great. We had a team dinner yesterday. This group has been together for 2-3 series now. The boys know what their team-mates like and don’t like. This camaraderie will reflect on the field as well.”

The last time Afghanistan faced Australia in an ODI, Glenn Maxwell produced arguably the greatest innings the format has ever seen with his unforgettable double century to secure a remarkable chase in Mumbai.It ripped away a game that appeared a certain Afghanistan victory when Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292, but they have insisted there is no extra focus purely on Maxwell ahead of a winner-takes-all clash in Lahore with a semi-final spot on the line.Related

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A significant reason for that is Afghanistan know they beat Australia: last year at the T20 World Cup they prevailed by 21 runs despite Maxwell’s 59 off 41 balls. His dismissal to Gulbadin Naib was the defining moment of the game”You think we will come only to play with Maxwell?” Hashmatullah Shahidi said when asked about the 2023 World Cup meeting. “We have planning for all Australian team. I know that he played really well in 2023 World Cup, but that’s part of the history.”After that, we beat them in [the] T20 World Cup. We think about all [the] opposition team, we are not coming to the ground to plan on [an] individual player. We will try our best to come with the planning and we are not playing only Maxwell – we are playing Australia.”Afghanistan were the winners of this fixture at last year’s T20 World Cup in West Indies•ICC/Getty Images

A second consecutive ICC tournament semi-final beckons if Afghanistan prevail on Friday, but they insist their minds won’t wander that far. “We will try to play positive game – just like we defeated England today, we hope to beat Australia as well,” Shahidi said. “We won’t put that pressure on ourselves by thinking too much about the semi-final qualification.”Afghanistan will enter the match less than 48 hours after the eight-run victory over England highlighted by Ibrahim Zadran’s magnificent 177. He also has good memories of facing Australia having scored 129 in that Mumbai match then 51 off 48 balls in the T20 World Cup victory in St Vincent.”It’s never easy for a player to return from injury and make such a strong comeback in a high-stakes match,” Shahidi said. “I am extremely happy for him because he is a very talented and hardworking player. When players like him perform well, as a leader, it makes me very happy and hopeful for the future. Ibrahim played a brilliant innings, and I pray that he continues to perform like this always.”The two matches so far in Lahore have seen all four innings pass 300 with Australia chasing down 352 against England in their opening match. Pace bowler Azmatullah Omarzai was Afghanistan’s match-winner yesterday with 5 for 58, but there was enough assistance for the spinners to provide encouragement. Noor Ahmad conceded just 51 from his 10 overs.”There was support,” Shahidi said. “I think the spinners bowled also really well. In this kind of condition our spinners are very good, and if they have a little bit help, I know they will do it for the team.”