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The pink ball gets soft quickly and once that happens, run-scoring becomes easy

Sidharth Monga13-Dec-2020Centuries from Ben McDermott and Jack Wildermuth – first-class averages of 43 and 29 before this game – kept Indians at bay to earn Australia A a draw in the final tour game before the Tests but not before the new-ball bowlers had shot another blow to Joe Burns’ confidence, and possibly the selectors’ confidence in him. Burns now has 62 runs from his last nine innings, leaving the Test team a selection headache for Adelaide but equally India learnt something significant about the pink ball with a whole day spent in the field.The lesson – as has been seen before – is that once the pink ball gets soft it is significantly easier to bat against. It arguably gets softer sooner than the red Kookaburra. On all three days, batting has looked comfortable if you get past roughly 30 overs. India’s all-pace attack, led by Test stalwarts Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami – found little assistance after the three early wickets, all in the bag inside the first 12 overs. Even the fourth wicket – that of Alex Carey – was a gift to the part-time spin of Hanuma Vihari.If the make-up of this XI was an indication that India were thinking of an all-pace attack – overall numbers do back that direction with visiting spinners struggling badly in day-night Tests in Australia – they might go back from SCG with some second thoughts with how dead it became once the ball went soft.In day-night Tests in Australia, teams average 27.25 runs for a wicket in the first 30 overs followed by an average 30.4 in the next 50 overs. The run rate jumps from 2.79 to 3.24. That is a 16% increase in both runs per wicket and per over. In day Tests played over the same period in Australia, the scoring rate remains the same after the 30th over at 3.11 while the average goes up negligibly from 38.22 to 39.05. The sample size for day-night Tests is small, especially when the variables of bowling under lights are high, but paired with visual evidence of how easy batting looked after around the 30th over, it might be safe to surmise wickets with the old pink ball might be hard work if not bowled under lights. Remember Bumrah came to bat in the 31st over in the first innings and looked at ease, confounding those who had seen India collapse to 123 for 9.The day, though, began with questions for Australia. Burns, in what might seem to those on the outside as his last chance to seal his slot for Adelaide, came out with a pretty significant change in his set-up. He stood on off stump, and then made two small movements further across even before the ball was released in order to cover the line just outside off. Pushing at one outside his eyeline is how he got out in the first innings. However, this change left him vulnerable to the straighter one as was visible the moment Shami gave Burns a full straight one, trapping him lbw thanks to a shot across the line as opposed to one with a straight bat.It won’t please Australia that now the favourite for the opening slot, Marcus Harris, walked straight into a trap laid out for him, glancing a straight delivery straight into the lap of the leg gully. That was a fielder India employed against Harris with success on the previous tour.After Carey slogged Vihari straight to mid-on, came together two men who were brought in at the last moment as injury replacements. They were solid against India’s Plan A before Wildermuth went after the short-ball plans, hooking with aplomb even against Shami and Bumrah. McDermott got the worse of the uneven bounce when Indians banged the ball in, but he was lucky none of his aerial flicks landed with the fielders. It will be an especially satisfying finish for McDermott, who had converted only one of 16 previous half-centuries into a hundred.In the end the Indians were happy not to stretch their bowlers for one late push so close to a Test match. The teams shook hands the moment the mandatory overs ended. Last five of those were bowled by part-timers Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal.

The captain bemoans losing small moments and says he has been too timid at the crease

Alex Malcolm17-Jan-2021Melbourne Renegades captain Aaron Finch will open the batting against the Melbourne Stars, insisting his move down the order in the loss to Brisbane Heat was purely for match-up purposes.Finch, Australia’s T20I captain and opener, has endured a lean run in the BBL this season scoring just 159 runs in nine innings with a highest score of just 39 and a strike-rate of 119.54.He had already batted out of position at No. 3 in the Renegades’ loss to loss to Perth Scorchers, but the move to No. 4 against the Heat in Canberra, behind youngsters Mackenzie Harvey and Sam Harper, raised even more eyebrows. It was the first time he had batted outside the top three in his BBL career and the first time he had done it in his last 91 T20 innings globally.Since batting at No. 4 in an IPL game in 2018 Finch had opened in 85 T20 innings and batted at No. 3 six times. In that period, only Babar Azam has scored more runs as an opener, while no one has scored more than Finch’s five centuries. Of the eight openers who have scored 2000 runs or more in the period, Finch has the highest strike-rate and the third-highest average.Related

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However, Finch explained the move was purely match-up based. The Heat didn’t have a right-arm offspinner in their bowling attack with Mujeeb Ur Rahman having departed, and the Renegades felt the two left-handers in Harvey and Shaun Marsh should bat at the top.”I’ll go back and open tomorrow. That was a match-up for that game.” Finch said on Saturday. “They didn’t have an offspinner, to start. So we felt as though having two lefties at the top wasn’t going to present any kind of issue.”Obviously, Glenn Maxwell has been bowling a lot in the Powerplay for the Stars. So that’s why I’ll go back to the top. We’ll see how we go there. I don’t expect that he’ll bowl two overs upfront but if he does then we’ve got that match-up there.”The Renegades’ horrendous form may have something to do with the clouded thinking and line-up tinkering. Since winning the title in BBL08 the Renegades have won just five of their last 24 games, including only two this season. Finch is carrying that burden on his own shoulders.”A combination of guys, not being in form at the right time, myself being probably the main culprit of that,” Finch said. “One percenters in games in T20 get amplified a lot. They kill you when games are so tight. Just some small skill errors, mental errors as well. We feel as though our best is still right up there and we can compete for a title.”It’s been difficult, no doubt. The way that we’ve been training has been really impressive though. The standard in that regard hasn’t dropped at all. So that’s what makes it even more disappointing. We haven’t been able to carry that over into a game. And there’s been situations where we’ve let ourselves slip. We’ve been in games and just haven’t taken those half-chances or we’ve just let teams off the hook too easily.”Finch has been searching for ways to find some runs. He gave a revealing interview to prior to the Heat game on Thursday where he explained he was hitting a higher volume of balls at training at the back end of this tournament compared to previous years and was trying to work on his stability at the crease.”It’s been going great in the nets,” Finch added. “It just hasn’t been going great in the game. I’ve been a little bit timid in my approach at the crease. There have been times where I’ve got out being a little bit too defensive-minded, not looking to take the ultra-aggressive approach. I know when I’m playing my absolute best in T20 cricket that’s how I play. Hopefully, in these last four games, I can bring that back.”I haven’t given myself the best chance a couple of times either. Last game I got out being defensively minded, trying to get through to the 14th-15th over rather than trying to be aggressive. It’s only an attitude thing. I can change that.”The BBL’s strict Covid-19 protocols haven’t helped either. The Renegades were supposed to play their last five matches at home in Melbourne but that was reduced to four when the BBL fixtures changed due to border closures.The players are now in their home city and won’t leave for the remainder of the home and away season. However, the Melbourne-based players can’t leave the hotel to their own beds at the moment, a bed Finch has seen very little of since last August.”It has its challenges when you can look out the window and nearly see home, but you’re not quite there yet,” he said.

Mohammed has captained West Indies in similar circumstances before, when a number of players pulled out of touring Pakistan

Mohammad Isam14-Jan-2021Jason Mohammed has said that his comeback into the West Indies team after more than two years, with the added bonus of being named the ODI captain, is his opportunity to get his place back when the main players are back. Mohammed last played when Bangladesh toured West Indies in August 2018 but his return was made possible after several of their top players pulled out of this tour.”I have been out for two years now,” Mohammed said. “I have a role in leading the team but personally I look forward to the challenge. It is a good opportunity for me to have a good series, and put my hands up for when the full strength team is back, so I can really get my place back in that team.”It won’t be difficult to motivate myself. I want to be playing international cricket. It is a huge role being the leader of the Caribbean team. There’s no added pressure because playing as a captain is something I have been accustomed to doing. I just want to enjoy the series and turn around the stats (against Bangladesh).”Mohammed has captained West Indies in four matches: an ODI against England in 2017 and in three T20Is during their 2018 Pakistan tour. This is a slightly similar circumstance where top players pulled out and the CWI went for Mohammed to lead the side. Still, he said it’s a proud moment.”This is the second time that I am captaining (a full series). I am quite happy to do it. It is a great opportunity for me personally to lead the West Indies team. It is a great honour and achievement for myself.”Growing up you always want to play for the West Indies but leading the Caribbean team, it is a great feeling. Sometimes things come in different ways. I just have to grab this opportunity and make the best use of it, and lead the team to the best of my ability,” he said.What is of real concern though, particularly for Mohammed, is the lack of match practice in recent months. His last competitive match was back in March in the domestic four-day competition, having not played in the CPL too. So most of his focus remains on the next week or so, when he will have to get back into rhythm through practice sessions and a warm-up game on January 18.”I haven’t played a game for couple of months. We have been doing some practice with the T&T senior team. The couple of days here will be very important for preparation. I want to hit as many balls as I can, find the middle of the bat as soon as possible, and look forward to enjoy three good games of the series,” he said.Mohammed would also have to pick a playing XI from a squad of several uncapped cricketers. West Indies are also taking on a Bangladesh side that includes four of their most experienced cricketers, including the returning Shakib Al Hasan.”Inexperience or not, it is always difficult to pick your final XI. Obviously the coach and myself and the other staff have to take the decision to put the best team in the park, which is ideal for the condition. It is going to be difficult selecting the XI for the first time. There are a lot of good exciting talent within the group. There aren’t a lot of senior guys in the team. There’s a lot of youngsters in the team. My job will be to try to make them as calm and relaxed as possible. I want to try to guide the young bowlers as best possible in the field. I think everyone understands their game well at this level. I have to make sure they execute the plans,” he said.Mohammed said that a bit of help from the inspirational Clive Lloyd also geed hem up. “It is coming from one of our greats. Obviously those are the sort of thing you want to hear. There’s a lot of negative talk going around. When you hear someone like Clive Lloyd, he puts a great belief within you. With a World Cup coming up, it is an opportunity for all of us to try to put our hands up, firstly to get in the original team, when the full squad is back. We have a chance to go into the World Cup. It has inspired the team, and hopefully we can back his wisdom.”

The home side pulled out 101 behind then took early wickets before South Australia extended their lead to 243

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2021An intriguing final day was in prospect at the WACA after Cameron Green hit an unbeaten 168 before Western Australia declared behind to open up the game which was followed by a brief period where bowlers dominated.Green was in sight of a maiden double century at tea (having made 197 earlier this season) when Shaun Marsh declared with the home side 101 behind on a surface that has been significantly in favour of the batsmen.However, the Western Australia bowlers then took charge to rattle South Australia. Will Bosisto and Liam Scott were both taken at first slip by Marsh, Henry Hunt was given lbw to a very full delivery from Aaron Hardie and Travis Head, who made a double century in the first innings, edged an excellent delivery from Liam Guthrie to second to leave them 4 for 61.South Australia were then put back on track to set a target on the final day by a positive partnership between Alex Carey and Harry Nielsen as the pair added 81 in 22 overs.Led by Green, Western Australia enjoyed two sessions of batting dominance to comfortably avoid the follow-on. Cameron Bancroft, who scored a century on the second day, fell to the first over of the second new ball when he shouldered arms at Chadd Sayers, but Green brought up his second Shield century of the season – and sixth first-class hundred – with a strong on-drive in the last over before lunch.After the interval Wes Agar produced an impressive spell which accounted for Hilton Cartwright, bowled through the gate, and Josh Inglis caught behind off an inside edge before Green and Hardie cut loose towards the tea break to added 61 in 10 overs.

Aiden Markram continues to impress at the top for the hosts, hitting his second half-century on the trot

Firdose Moonda12-Apr-2021South Africa made light work in chasing down a below-par score to level the four-match T20I series against Pakistan, making it 1-1 with a six-wicket win with 36 balls in hand at the Wanderers.George Linde starred in the first half, picking up the first three Pakistan wickets to restrict them to 140, and then scored an unbeaten 20 off ten balls to help South Africa polish off whatever was left of a small target after coming in with 49 to get. Linde opened the bowling, as he did in the first match, and struck twice in his opening spell and once in his second to finish with an impressive 3 for 23. He was supported well by his spin companion Tabraiz Shamsi, who also conceded at less than six runs an over, and left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks. Sisanda Magala and Lizaad Williams were expensive but only one Pakistan batsman, Babar Azam, made a half-century, and there was only one half-century stand, between Azam and Mohammad Hafeez, for them.South Africa started the chase strongly with Janneman Malan and Aiden Markram sharing a stand of 44 in 27 balls. Even though their middle-order wobbled, and they lost four wickets for 48 runs, Heinrich Klaasen and Linde did enough to see them through against a Pakistan attack that never seemed able to keep a lid on things.The next two matches will be played at SuperSport Park, where Pakistan won both ODIs earlier on their tour.Rizwan’s run-spree finally endsSouth Africa might have been wondering how they would ever be rid of Mohammad Rizwan, but it took just one ball for it to happen in the second T20I. Rizwan danced down the track first ball of the Pakistan innings to hit Linde over long-on but skied the ball to Markram, who took a comfortable catch at mid-off. Rizwan’s dismissal ended a streak of ten consecutive scores of 40+ scores in T20s, which included a century and six fifties. Linde had more success in his next over when Sharjeel Khan, the other opener who replaced Fakhar Zaman for his first game in almost three years after returning from a spot-fixing ban, sliced across a ball to give Markram a second catch.Aiden Markram brought up back-to-back half-centuries•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa’s longest overThis is not a record anyone wants to have, but it now belongs to Magala, whose opening over lasted 12 balls, beating Dale Steyn’s 11-ball over against West Indies at the T20 World Cup in 2010. Magala started with two front-foot no-balls, followed by a high full-toss, and a wide yorker. His fifth delivery was another wide yorker, but legal, and Haider Ali hit it over short third-man for four. Magala’s next ball went for two through midwicket, before a wide down the leg side. His next three were all full on the stumps and Azam hit the last of them through third man for four before another wide, down leg. Magala’s over ended on its 12th ball, when Azam couldn’t get him away on the off side. In total, the over cost 18 runs. Magala’s second over was better, and he conceded just six runs, and his third was even better than that, with four runs and his first international wicket. He bowled the Pakistan captain with a ball in the slot on off stump that Azam swung at, and missed.No singles, just foursWihan Lubbe has 16 international runs to his name but has not yet scored a single at the highest level. The hard-hitting No. 3 deals in boundaries and nothing else, at least on the evidence of his performance so far. In the first T20I, Lubbe pulled the first ball he faced, a short one from Hasan Ali, to the midwicket fence for four. Two balls later, he was too early on the drive down the ground and chipped a catch to cover. In this match, he sent the third ball he faced through mid-on for four with a piece of splendid timing, then chipped one over the leg side and then stuck his bat out to flip a full toss over backward square leg. But three boundaries in the over didn’t seem enough for Lubbe, who tried to hit the last ball over mid-on, but sent it straight to Azam instead.Markram finds his white-ball flowAfter struggling to transfer his domestic 50-over form to the international stage, Markram has managed to find his flow in the shortest format. He followed on from his first half-century on Sunday with another authoritative knock in this match. Markram’s first four came off the innings’ fourth ball, when he hit Shaheen Afridi through backward square. In the next over, he hit Mohammad Nawaz through the covers for four and over his head for six, and two overs after that, plundered Mohammad Hasnain for three fours, taking advantage of the short ball and some width. His six off Ali, over extra cover, was the most audacious shot of the innings while he brought up fifty when he hit Usman Qadir over midwicket. Makram holed out to long-on two balls later and would have been disappointed not to finish the game. For someone who was not even part of the squad initially, but stayed on when Temba Bavuma was ruled out, Markram has made the most of his opportunity.

Sussex spun to brink of defeat after doughty fightback

Alan Gardner24-Apr-2021Sussex 221 (Haines 86, Patterson 4-26) and 136 for 6 (Bess 5-33) need another 99 runs to beat Yorkshire 150 and 305 (Ballance 74, Lyth 66, Carson 5-85) Yorkshire’s trip to the south coast proved a restorative experience for England offspinner Dom Bess, as a five-wicket haul on the third afternoon helped push the visitors towards a hard-fought victory. There remained work to do on the final morning, after a day of blustering winds and shifting fortunes, but Bess’ dismissal of George Garton with his final delivery left the Sussex chase precariously placed.Having steadily dragged their way back into this contest, turning an overnight lead of 92 into a fourth-innings target of 235, Yorkshire seemed set to complete the turnaround by reducing the home side to 86 for 5 during the evening session. Ben Brown, Sussex’s doughty captain, bolted together a stand with Garton as the shadows lengthened, only for Bess to cap his day by securing a maiden five-for in Yorkshire whites.On a dry Hove surface, and following success for Sussex’s young offspinner, Jack Carson, Bess quickly became the focus of attention – much as he was for large portions of England’s winter assignments in Sri Lanka and India. He has not had an easy start to the season, going wicketless in Yorshire’s opening two fixtures, and suffered a rib problem while fielding in the first innings of this match, though he was able to bowl through the discomfort.The ease with which David Willey and Duanne Olivier added 51 in 13.2 overs during a last-wicket stand for Yorkshire either side of lunch hinted at some of the life going out of the pitch. But there has been turn throughout, and Bess was soon into the attack after the openers got off to a solid start – much as in each of the three preceding innings of this match – with Tom Haines setting the tempo for Sussex during a 45-run stand.Having started his spell with a maiden to Aaron Thomason, Bess’ seventh delivery was replete with intent: drift into Haines from round the wicket, spin and bounce past the outside edge. Carson had found plenty of grip bowling from the Sea End, and with five left-handers in the Sussex top seven, the sense only increased that this was a golden opportunity for Bess.The breakthrough came in the same over, as Thomason’s attempt to get down the track ended with him being bowled through the gate after a desperate hoy across the line. A second for Bess followed soon after the tea interval, as Tom Clark was lured forward only for some extra bounce to see the ball pop off the splice to silly point. In between times, the lively Haines was caught down the leg side off Jordan Thompson.Dom Bess hadn’t taken a five-for for Yorkshire since leaving Somerset•Getty Images

With Joe Root joining the attack from the Cromwell Road End, Hove suddenly became reminiscent of England’s most-recent Test outing in Ahmedabad – albeit you would struggle to squeeze in a 130,000-seater “Modium” between the flats and terraces that flank this ground. Root might have removed Stiaan van Zyl on 21, as a thin edge evaded Adam Lyth at slip, but the Sussex No. 3 became a third victim for Bess in the following over, leaving one that went on with the arm to clip off stump.Bess was now in a groove, and Delray Rawlins was dispatched first ball, a thin edge deflecting off Jonny Tattersall behind the stumps to be taken at slip. Garton saw off the hat-trick delivery, but Bess had 4 for 12 from 13 overs and Yorkshire seemed set to roll through, only for Brown, who edged Root through the hands of Lyth on 11, to battle through to the close and keep his side in contention.Not that Yorkshire will be getting roundly clapped back to the broad acres, should they manage to make it back-to-back wins on the road. “All French people have two jobs, their own and film critic,” said the director Francois Truffaut. Substitute in the words “Yorkshire” and “cricket”, and you might have a fair reflection of how seriously things are taken in the White Rose county. There had been mithering aplenty after Yorkshire were second best to Glamorgan in their opening game of the season, and they have had to come from behind here.A factor in the final analysis might well be the relative experience of these teams. While Yorkshire could draw on the skill and knowhow of six full internationals in their XI, the Sussex side has just two men aged over 30 – van Zyl and Brown – and as many as seven who are 23 or younger. Sussex have had their chances in this game, but too many have slipped by.Related

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Another example came on the third morning. Yorkshire were 254 for 9 and the target still fewer than 200, but Willey and Olivier set themselves against the prevailing wind to produce the second-highest partnership of the innings. The change in momentum was in keeping with a game that has kept all concerned guessing, shifting like the contours of the dunes at the beach.Gary Ballance’s first half-century in any form of the game since August 2019 provided a vital bulwark for Yorkshire, the No. 3 adding stands of 37 with nightwatchman Patterson and 32 with Bess. He fell when padding up ill-advisedly to Carson, bowling from around the wicket, before Ollie Robinson struck twice in as many overs to leave Sussex on the brink of batting again – Thompson smartly held one-handed by Thomason at slip, Bess given out lbw to a nip-backer.Carson had impressed with his control and character in helping to check Yorkshire’s progress on the second evening, laughing at the idea that life for a spinner during an English spring is tough. “It’s nothing to playing in Northern Ireland, as a 13-year-old in short sleeves – it’s absolutely Baltic,” was his swift rejoinder. Although the last-wicket pair kept Sussex waiting beyond a delayed lunch, it was Carson who finished the job, spinning one into Olivier’s pads to secure career-best figures and a second five-for in only his seventh first-class match.

Northern Diamonds legspinner says she’s “at the other end now and keen to get back on the pitch”

Valkerie Baynes24-May-2021For many women, this cricket season has been a long time coming but Katie Levick, the Northern Diamonds legspinner, found herself in a race against time to be ready for the first match of the 2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Levick is battling suspected long Covid, having been struck down for a month with coronavirus last October. Despite not being one of the Diamonds’ five contracted players for 2021, she credits being part of a professional cricket team with detecting a “dangerous” heart rate while exercising that is believed to be an after-effect of the illness.”We’re on a long, long road back to fitness,” Levick told ESPNcricinfo. “We found a few issues with my heart and things like that.”Luckily I’m in the set-up really because it’s allowed me to have access to medical cover and get all these tests to make sure that I’m fine. I’ve got a medical support team we’ve never had before and that really helped me get back to full fitness.”Related

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Levick returned to training with the Diamonds at the end of March, having also suffered with extreme fatigue, another symptom of long Covid.”I’ve really struggled with that,” she said. “I have to pretty much sleep after every training session but it is getting better.”The fact that we caught any of it is because I’ve been given access to heart monitors and stuff when I came back, whereas if I was an amateur last year, before this set-up came into place, we probably wouldn’t have noticed any of the changes in my heart rate, or the extreme fatigue would probably have been put down to just life stresses, that sort of thing.”It’s not been ideal but we’re definitely at the other end now and keen to get back on the pitch.”Earlier this month, Levick played her first match since falling ill, taking a wicket as the Diamonds faced the England Academy in a warm-up fixture, and she said she had been working towards being ready for the season opener against Central Sparks at Headingley on Saturday.Levick had a taste of what the new women’s domestic cricket structure would be like last year when she played in the inaugural Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, taking 11 wickets from seven matches at 22.18.That followed a period of huge uncertainty when the Hundred was postponed and it looked like there might be no domestic women’s cricket played in England last summer. During that time, Levick became an advocate for women like herself who had been about to earn an income from playing the game they love only to have it taken away.She took to Twitter to tell “those celebrating the cancellation of the Hundred this year” that they were celebrating unemployment for “many women who don’t have the opportunity for professionalism otherwise”. She told ESPNcricinfo at the time: “You wouldn’t cheer if an ASDA shut down and people lost their jobs, so this is no different essentially.” As it turned out, the ECB managed to hastily convene the RHF Trophy with such success it has been continued as the premier women’s domestic 50-over competition. Levick was retained by both the Diamonds and her Hundred side, Northern Superchargers, with the new hundred-ball tournament due to start in July.But this season was preceded by another period of uncertainty. While she believes postponing the Hundred was “obviously the absolute right decision” amid the pandemic, Levick wondered if her chance had passed her by.”This year I’m going to be 30 and so you’re the other end of the spectrum for players in your squad and you think, ‘will they want to keep me on?’,” she said. “Whilst we were playing the Heyhoe Flint we all got confirmation that if you want to be retained it was your choice.”I think that was such a great power move to put it on to the players for once and to give us the power. Often we feel quite like the cattle being moved around … that was a really great move from the ECB.”It was just such a weight off your mind. It was very early reassurance that, ‘phew, next year looks a lot better, I’ve got something to work towards now and something to look forward to’.”Katie Levick is hoping to be fit for the start of the 2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy•Getty Images

But first, there is the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, where the Diamonds are intent on going one better after losing last year’s final to Southern Vipers.Levick was the pick of the Diamonds bowlers in the final with 3 for 49 from eight overs but a half-century to Georgia Adams, the Vipers captain and the competition’s leading run-scorer, laid a foundation for victory which was sealed by a stunning haul of 6 for 34 from little-known offspinner Charlotte Taylor.”It feels like it’s been quite a long time coming,” Levick said. “Picking up our tournament at the end of May is not something we’re necessarily used to in cricket, so we’re just very ready and eager at this stage to get back out there and try and bring some silverware back to the north.”

Team will be missing key players like van der Merwe and ten Doeschate who have not been released by their counties

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2021At long last, Netherlands will finally play their first match of the ODI Super League, which will decide who goes through to the 2023 World Cup. They qualified for the 13-team competition in December 2017 and might already have been initiated but for the complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now though the Dutch are ready to return to the top-flight as they take on Ireland over the course of three ODIs on June 2, 4 and 7 in Utrecht.

The first ever Netherlands squad to play the ODI super league

Pieter Seelaar (captain), Scott Edward, Max O’Dowd, Stephan Myburgh, Ben Cooper, Bas de Leede, Timm van der Gugten, Logan van Beek, Fred Klaassen, Philippe Boissevain, Vivian Kingma, Brandon Glover, Tobias Visée, Musa Nadeem Ahmad, Saqib Zulfiqar
In:Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Brandon Glover, Musa Nadeem Ahmad
Out: Paul van Meekeren, Aryan Dutt

Allrounder Pieter Seelaar leads a 15-member contingent that includes professionals who have been active in the English circuit and youngsters who have done well in the domestic cricket, with Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen and Brandon Glover all released for international duty. Shane Snater, Ryan ten Doeschate, Roelof van der Merwe and Colin Ackermann will remain with their counties. Fast bowler Paul van Meekeren, who was part of the last team that Netherlands picked to play 50-over cricket, against Scotland earlier this month, is also missing.”Our first appearance in the much talked about Super League is no doubt the most important page in the Dutch Cricket History book,” head coach Ryan Campbell said. “We hope to open this chapter with a really competitive series against our great friends and adversaries Ireland.”We welcome back Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen and Brandon Glover from county duties and I expect them to form a potent fast-bowling combination with Logan van Beek and Vivian Kingma, whose form has been outstanding so far this season [10 wickets in his last four 50-over matches].”We will continue to back our best young talent and I’m extremely pleased to add Musa Nadeem to our long list of recent debutants. His form in the Topklasse [the local 50-over competition] has been outstanding as well as his hard work throughout our long hiatus from International Cricket due to Covid.”This will no doubt be an extremely tough series, but I know the players are ready to go and it should be an exciting week of cricket.”A press release from the Netherlands cricket board on Thursday also indicated that this will be the “first time ever that cricket can be watched live on Dutch television, including Dutch commentary.”

Glamorgan edge towards first-innings parity despite no batter scoring more than David Lloyd’s 38

ECB Reporters' Network05-Jul-2021Sixteen-year-old Dan Ibrahim scored his second Championship fifty as Sussex fought back well against Glamorgan in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Hove. The teenager followed up his 55 on debut against Yorkshire last month with a composed 58 – the only half-century in the match so far – as Sussex recovered to make 226.Their understrength attack then chipped away at Glamorgan, who were 205 for 9 when play was halted by rain. Four bowlers took two wickets including legspinner Will Beer, whose scalps were his first in the County Championship since September 2019.Sussex had resumed on 161 for 7 and added two runs before Jack Carson played on to Michael Hogan for a duck in the second over of the day. But Ibrahim, leaving the ball well and accumulating runs in unhurried fashion, helped Stuart Meaker and Mitch Claydon add 63 for the last two wickets. Meaker made 23 and Ibrahim was last out for 58, made from 147 balls with four boundaries before he was stumped off offspinner Andrew Salter.In reply, most of the Glamorgan batsmen got starts but no one could better opener David Lloyd’s 38 as the Sussex attack plugged away. Meaker picked up Joe Cooke with one which straightened and Colin Ingram’s first Championship innings since September 2017 ended when Claydon surprised him with extra bounce and he was caught off the splice for 7.Billy Root and Lloyd put on 54 for the third wicket with few alarms but Meaker returned to bowl Lloyd through the gate and Claydon had Kiran Carlson (17) athletically caught at second slip by the diving Aaron Thomasson. Root played attractively before he was lbw to Stiaan van Zyl to leave Glamorgan 117 for 5. Skipper Chris Cooke and Dan Douthwaite put on 40 either side of tea, although Douthwaite was put down by Carson off his own bowling on 15.Beer broke through after the interval when Douthwaite was caught at slip on the drive and Carson picked up Cooke thanks to an excellent low catch at short leg by Thomason. Beer bowled with impressive control, picking up his second wicket when he defeated James Weighell’s defensive prod. In the next over Timm van der Gugten holed out to deep midwicket to give Carson a second wicket.Hogan and Salter scrambled a batting point before the rain got heavier, but an intriguing final two days are in prospect as both sides try to climb the Group C table.

England seamer has torn right calf muscle, Anderson also an injury doubt

Andrew Miller11-Aug-2021Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the remainder of England’s Test series with India after tearing his right calf muscle.Broad underwent an MRI scan in London on Wednesday, which revealed the tear, suffered when he appeared to slip during a light warm-up jog ahead of training at Lord’s on the previous day.Saqib Mahmood has been called up to England’s squad as cover ahead of the second of five Tests starting at Lord’s on Thursday, and could be in line for a surprise debut with James Anderson also an injury doubt.Anderson missed training on Wednesday morning, and ESPNcricinfo understands he is suffering from a tight quad. The decision was precautionary, but it could leave England without both of their senior seamers heading into the second Test. He did appear for a ten-minute work-out on the main square later in the afternoon, bowling at half-pace though without apparent discomfort, with bowling coach Jon Lewis and the medical staff in attendance.Broad, 35, will miss what would have been his 150th Test after he was unable to put weight on his left foot. If both England seamers are ruled out, it would be only the second home Test to feature neither Anderson nor Broad since 2007.Related

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Broad’s injury comes after a fallow first Test in which he went wicketless in India’s first innings before finding a better rhythm second-time around, claiming KL Rahul’s wicket on the fourth evening before rain washed out an intriguing final day. He currently has 524 wickets at 27.84 in his 149 Tests to date, placing him sixth on the all-time Test wicket-takers list.”Things can change so quickly,” Broad wrote on Instagram. “During the warm-up, I jumped a hurdle, landed a bit awkwardly on my right ankle, then the next step felt like I’d been whipped by a rope as hard as you can imagine on the back of my leg. All so innocuous. Season over and gutted to miss this India Test series but a huge focus on Australia now.”Going to take my time, no rush, baby steps and be the fittest I can be heading out there. Big focus is my brain. I’ll be watching every ball from my sofa hoping to see runs and wickets in the glorious Lord’s sunshine.”Mahmood, who impressed for England’s white-ball squad in the recent series against Pakistan, was set to link up with the squad at Lord’s on Wednesday. Moeen Ali is expected to return to the side to provide England with a spin option, while Mark Wood – unused in the first Test – is likely to join Ollie Robinson among the frontline seamers, with Sam Curran set to be retained in a more conventional allrounder’s role. That would leave Mahmood and Craig Overton, the Somerset allrounder, as fast-bowling cover, with one of the two replacing Anderson in the event he is ruled out.Chris Woakes (bruised heel) and Ben Stokes (personal reasons) are also unavailable for the second Test, leaving England facing the prospect of fielding a second-choice seam attack. Either way, with Jofra Archer now ruled out until after this winter’s Ashes and Olly Stone confirming on the BBC on Tuesday that he is unlikely to return to bowling for six months after his latest stress fracture, Mahmood now seems increasingly likely to make his Test debut at some stage this summer, with a view to testing his readiness for a role in Australia.Saqib Mahmood is back at Lord’s with the England squad after being called up as cover•PA Photos/Getty Images

He claimed nine wickets at 13.66 in England’s 3-0 series win in the ODIs against Pakistan in July, after being called up as part of an emergency squad following a Covid outbreak in England’s original party, and retained his place for the subsequent T20I series, where he picked up a further four wickets at 28.00.He has since been one of the star bowlers in the first season of the Hundred, with five wickets at 22.40 for Oval Invincibles, though now looks set to miss their final two group games as they push for a play-off berth.England have also announced that their offspinner Dom Bess will return to Yorkshire to compete in the Royal London Cup, after being released from the Test squad following Moeen’s inclusion.