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West Indies’ batting crumbled with Santner and Bracewell sharing six wickets

Associated Press12-Aug-2022Glenn Phillips struck a half century from 31 balls to propel New Zealand to a 90-run win over the West Indies in the second T20I in Jamaica, clinching the three-match series with a 2-0 lead.After reaching his fifth T20I half century, Phillips went on to 76 from 40 balls and led New Zealand to 215 for 5, exceeding the 185 for 5 that was a winning total in the first match of the series. His innings included six sixes and four fours.West Indies managed only 125 for 9 in reply, lacking the partnerships that underpinned a New Zealand total which was the highest by a visiting team against the West Indies in a T20I in the Caribbean.Phillips put on 71 for the third wicket with Devon Conway who made 42 from 34 balls and 83 with Daryl Mitchell who made 48 from 20, the latter partnership coming off just 34 balls. In all, New Zealand scored 130 off their second 10 overs.West Indies’ best were stands of 35 for the seventh wicket between Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell which began when the home team was 40 for 6 and the match already lost. Hayden Walsh and Obed McCoy put on 38 in an unbroken stand for the last wicket.Phillips put to good use his knowledge of conditions at Sabina Park, which is his home ground in the Caribbean Premier League.”Coming back to Sabina Park is amazing. I’ve got great memories here,” Phillips said in a television interview. “Being able to get a 50 for my country over here in front of a crowd which I really love is definitely very special for me.”Credit to the West Indies for the way they bowled up front with the new ball which was really, really good in terms of taking the pace off the ball when it was new and harder. As it got older the pitch became a bit nicer to bat on.”Seven West Indies wickets fell to spin bowlers, including the first four of the innings.Mitchell Santner, who was Player of the Match for his 3 for 19 in the first game, took a wicket with his first ball and two wickets in his opening over to set back West Indies’ run chase.Offspinner Michael Bracewell, who replaced fast bowler Lockie Ferguson in the New Zealand line-up, also took a wicket with his first delivery, dismissing captain Nicholas Pooran as West Indies slumped to 12 for 3 at the start of the fourth over.Santner and Bracewell both finished with 3 for 15. Tim Southee took the only wicket which fell to a fast bowler, removing Odean Smith at the tail.Shimron Hetmeyer was the first batter not to fall to a spin bowler, run out by a direct hit at the bowler’s end by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. West Indies were 28 for 5 at that point and couldn’t recover.”We just didn’t show up today,” Pooran said. “They batted us out of it and we couldn’t see our way with the bat. We had to stay in the game. It just didn’t start well for us. We are struggling but the more cricket we play our performance will grow.”The final T20I will be played on Sunday at the same venue, followed by three ODIs

Bumrah, if fully fit, could replace Umesh in the XI, while Australia are likely to remain unchanged

Hemant Brar22-Sep-20222:54

Is India’s bowling a concern heading into the T20 World Cup?

Big picture

At this point in time, the Indian cricket team’s situation mirrors life: no sooner have you overcome a challenge than the next one crops up.After India successfully sorted out their batting, with their top order now looking for boundaries straightaway, they would have thought it was time to breathe easy. But lately, their death bowling has started giving them headaches.Since January 2022, 33 bowlers have bowled 20 or more overs at the death in T20 cricket. Among those, Harshal Patel (10.45) has the tenth-worst economy rate. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is somewhere in the middle with 9.54.In the first match of the ongoing series, India posted 208 for 6, their highest T20I total against Australia. During their chase, Australia needed 55 from the last four overs but wrapped up the game with four balls still left in the bank.Related

• Suryakumar goes past Babar to No. 3 on T20I batters' rankings

• Green makes a mark in T20Is after being 'thrown into the deep end'

Yes, the Mohali pitch was flat, the outfield lightning and the boundaries tiny, but there was hardly any dew. If India didn’t have the services of Jasprit Bumrah, Australia too were without David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis.India, though, have solutions in sight for the T20 World Cup, if not this series. Once Bumrah returns, it should solve half the problem. And while Arshdeep Singh is not in the squad for the Australia series, he could be tried in place of Harshal during the South Africa T20Is. With a death-overs economy of 7.16, Arshdeep is third on the aforementioned list.Australia, meanwhile, will be pleased with their captain Aaron Finch showing signs of a return to form after a wretched time in ODIs this year. He took on Bhuvneshwar in the powerplay, smashing him for 22 off two overs to set the tone. Among other positives, Steven Smith, batting at No. 3 for the first time since last October, hit a 24-ball 35, and Matthew Wade once again demonstrated his finishing skills with an unbeaten 45 off 21 balls.The visitors will be looking to seal the series in Nagpur itself, which will be another big boost in the absence of many first-choice players.

Form guide

India LWLLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Australia WLWWW

In the spotlight

With Bumrah playing only three of India’s 27 T20Is this year, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been their regular death bowler. However, the last few games have put his this role under a scanner. In the Super 4 game against Pakistan at the Asia Cup, India were the favourites before he went for 19 in the penultimate over of the chase. In the first T20I against Australia, he conceded 15 each in the 17th and the 19th overs. Should India look to bowl him out by the 16th over?Before this series, Cameron Green had never opened in any form of senior cricket. But he smashed four boundaries in the first four balls he faced in the first T20I and finished with 61 off 30 balls to pick up the Player-of-the-Match award. Green is not part of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, but if a batting slot opens up, the selectors know who to call. Friday will be another opportunity to further stake his claim.

Team news

If fully fit, Bumrah should replace Umesh Yadav for India. The hosts could also consider bringing in R Ashwin for Yuzvendra Chahal.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah/Umesh Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal/R AshwinAustralia are likely to be unchanged, with Kane Richardson, who missed the first T20I because of a minor side niggle, still unavailable. In case they decide to rest one of Josh Hazlewood or Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott can come in.Australia (probable): 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Cameron Green, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Josh Inglis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodBhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 15 runs each in the 17th and 19th overs against Australia in the first T20I•BCCI

Pitch and conditions

Bowlers can expect a better outing in Nagpur than they had in Mohali. Across 12 T20Is at this venue, the average first-innings total has been 151. The last international match here was an India vs Bangladesh T20I in 2019, when Deepak Chahar registered figures of 6 for 7.India’s practice session on Thursday was cancelled because of rain. On Friday, it’s expected to be mostly cloudy, with the temperature hovering around 25°C.

Stats and trivia

• Nine of the 12 T20Is in Nagpur have been won by the team batting first.
• Only 45 runs separate Rohit Sharma (3631) and Virat Kohli (3586), the top two run-getters in T20Is.
• Bhuvneshwar and Chahal have 84 T20I wickets each – the most for India in the format.
• Hazlewood is two short of 50 T20I wickets. If he gets there on Friday, in what will be his 32nd T20I, he will better Mitchell Starc’s Australian record of 40 matches.

Quotes

“I do not bat much in the nets, I practise separately, but from whatever I have faced, I can say Harshal Patel’s slower balls and his other variations are very deceptive. He has been working really hard on it. He has just come back from an injury, so let’s give him some benefit of that.”
“Having some good experience playing in India, finishing off games, understanding how it flows and how to play, or when it kind of lines up in front of you. There can be an advantage of batting second in Indian conditions. That was a good experience, the IPL, to have drawn on the other night out there in the middle.”

The allrounder has “minor ankle soreness” but will be available for the India tour next month

Andrew McGlashan30-Aug-2022Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the remaining ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand with a minor ankle injury but will be available for the T20 tour of India next month ahead of the World Cup in Australia.Josh Inglis, the Western Australia wicketkeeper-batter, who has been with London Spirit in the Hundred where he had replaced Glenn Maxwell has been called up as a replacement.Marsh’s injury was described as “minor ankle soreness” and with the proximity of the T20 World Cup, where Marsh will be a key part of the side at No. 3, a cautious approach is being taken. He was used as the first-change bowler in the opening ODI where he took 1 for 22 before falling for 2 in the run chase.Related

• Cameron Green five-for, David Warner fifty take Australia 1-0 up

• 'I like the challenge' – Madhevere hopes for a run at No. 3 after last-minute call-up

“It’s obviously not ideal for Mitch,” Steven Smith said. “He’s been playing some really good white-ball cricket recently and the way we set up our team the other day with bulk allrounders, he was obviously a big part of that. Disappointing for Mitch but there’s some pretty important stuff coming up, he was a big part of the T20 World Cup campaign last year and sure there’s big plans for him this year so the priority is to get him right for that.”Marsh’s absence may alter the balance of Australia’s side for the second match in Townsville, although Sean Abbott and Ashton Agar are both part of the squad if they want to retain the allrounder-heavy route which has seen Cameron Green at No. 8, but he may now get the chance higher up the order.Smith described the pitch for the opening match as “pretty challenging” with spin and seam on offer but was pleased with his first outing of the season.”The ball was seaming around a fair bit, there was a bit bounce and the spin was pretty hard to line up as well,” he said. “Some were going straight and some were taking off and bouncing so it wasn’t easy, but good to spend time out there and sure it will serve me well.”Smith has been locked back in at No. 3 in the ODI side as Australia build towards next year’s World Cup and said it was “absolutely” where he preferred batting. “That’s where my record is best,” he added.Rain hindered Australia’s optional training session on Tuesday but the forecast was set to improve for the match.

A round-up from another action-packed day in the WNCL where Ellyse Perry also returned to bowling

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2022Queensland stormed to back-to-back victories at North Sydney Oval, reaching their target with a massive 182 balls to spare in a dominant display from Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne. New South Wales were in trouble early after being asked to bat and never recovered. Tahlia Wilson, who top scored two days ago, was beaten by an inswinger from Courtney Sippel and Alyssa Healy edged a big drive to slip. When Ash Gardner was caught behind off Nicola Hancock the home side were 3 for 36. Phoebe Litchfield and Erin Burns stitched together a 60-run stand, but the innings faded when Burns nicked Sippel. The last three wickets fell without a run being added as they were bundled out in the 42nd over. A brace of early wickets for Sammy-Jo Johnson, including Georgia Voll taken a slip for a duck following her 145 on Friday, briefly raised hopes but it became a chastening afternoon in the field as Harris and Redmayne flayed the attack to all corners. Harris brought up her fifty from just 33 balls and Redmayne hit 10 boundaries in her run-a-ball innings.Beth Mooney made her first century for Western Australia•Getty Images

Beth Mooney made her first major impression for Western Australia with an unbeaten 151 which provided the standout performance of their second victory over ACT in three days. The century came off 109 balls and she passed her next landmark in the final over during an innings that showcased her stamina with a huge amount of running. An opening stand of 99 with Chloe Piparo (44) set the platform then Maddy Darke (47) joined Mooney in a second-wicket partnership of 94. Mooney then dominated a 76-run stand for the fourth wicket alongside Amy Edgar. ACT’s chase started promisingly as Katie Mack and Rebecca Carter added 80 in 14 overs, but Alana King got among the wickets again by claiming both openers to follow her 5 for 12 on Friday. From there the visitors never threatened as Lilly Mills and Taneale Peschel also got among the wickets.Ellyse Perry returned to the bowling crease for the first time since March•Getty Images

The points were shared at Karen Rolton Oval when rain prevented a Super Over from taking place to split South Australia and Victoria. The chase had been reduced to 23 overs and Victoria were well on track with Sophie Molineux compiling a half-century, brought up with consecutive boundaries that put her team well ahead of the DLS. But, with steady drizzle falling, Jemma Barsby turned the game with three wickets. The final over started with Victoria needing nine to win and Tahlia McGrath kept them to eight despite Annabel Sutherland finding the boundary second ball. Earlier, South Australia had done well to reach 200 having been 8 for 116 before Barsby and Megan Schutt (33*) added 72 for the ninth wicket. Ellyse Perry had bowled for the first time since March after recovering from a stress fracture of her back and claimed a wicket, Emma de Broughe superbly caught in the covers by Molineux, during a three-over spell.

India’s batting coach says the top order has merely reacted to the conditions

Sidharth Monga29-Oct-20221:11

Rathour: The conditions demanded Kohli to play in a certain way

#NewApproach has been the running joke among Indian fans ever since the new team management of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid took over. Every time India don’t score at breakneck speed, these jokes come up. Some of it is friendly ribbing, some of it wisecracks from the fans of the previous team management.If you take out the first match because India were chasing – the target dictates the approach then – one match against Netherlands is too small a sample size even for jokes, but the one thing that stood out was that only Rohit batted with the new approach, allowing KL Rahul and Virat Kohli to start conservatively.Related

• T20 World Cup scenarios: Pakistan rooting for India to stay alive

• India and South Africa in a tussle for Group 2's top spot

This #NewNewApproach is not random. India have spent enough time in Australia to know the conditions. The early exchanges have been difficult for the batters. Since the start of the Super 12s, teams have scored at 6.76 in the first ten overs and at 8.61 in the last ten. The new ball has done a bit.India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour said on the eve of the match against South Africa that the top order has merely reacted to the conditions. But he didn’t say whether they have spoken of it as a team or the batters are making the call in the middle.”We are looking to adapt,” Rathour said. “Of course, playing with intent is always the goal. We are looking to score runs whenever we can. But then we need to take into account the conditions that we are playing on, the surfaces we are playing on. I don’t think these are 200, 200-plus wickets, so we’ll need to adapt, and I think we have done pretty well in that regard so far.”When you talk approach, it is shaped by the batter who has batted the most, who in this case is Kohli. Rathour was asked if that was a premeditated approach. “Not really,” Rathour said. “I think that depends on the conditions we are playing in. We pride ourselves to be a team that will take the conditions and situation into account, and that’s what we’ve been looking to do. I think the conditions or the situation demanded him [Kohli] to play in a certain way, and he has done that. He is a good enough player to change his game or adapt his game to whatever the team requires, and he’s done that brilliantly so far, and we know that he’ll carry on doing that.”That brings us to another bone of contention: Rahul’s form. There have been suggestions that India can open with Rishabh Pant, who will also bring a left-hand batter into the mix. However, India are not ready to give up on Rahul.”No, we’re not really thinking that,” Rathour said. “Two games, I don’t think that’s a good enough sample size anyways. He has been batting really well, and he has batted really well in the practice games also, so we’re not looking at any such thing at the moment.”In the hours after Rathour spoke, New Zealand went from 54 for 3 in ten overs to 167 in the end against Sri Lanka. That might suggest you don’t necessarily need wickets in hand because runs are coming in the last ten overs anyway, but then again Rathour didn’t exactly say India would bat similarly all the time. There’s scope for newer hashtags yet.

India will sweat on Axar Patel’s fitness, and hope to bounce back after letting victory slip from their grasp on Sunday

Mohammad Isam06-Dec-20223:37

Jaffer: India should bring in Axar, if he is fit

Big picture

Beating India in successive ODI series at home will be a high mark for Bangladesh, who will take an unassailable lead if they win the second ODI on Wednesday. Their one-wicket win in the first ODI made for compelling viewing, and the 51-run tenth-wicket stand between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman reinforced just how dangerous Bangladesh are at home.They won from an improbable position, however, and India will rue the chances they gave the last-wicket pair. They might also look to rethink how they went about their batting. Given how tricky the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium was to bat on, and given that their total of 186 almost proved a winning one, India might look at some of their dismissals – two came off reverse-sweeps, and two off pulls against Ebadot Hossain’s extra bounce – and wonder if they may have been better served batting out the 50 overs. KL Rahul, who top-scored with a 70-ball 73, suggested that 230-240 would have been a good score on that surface.India packed their side with four allrounders and while most of them bowled well, three of them fell for single-digit scores. One match is perhaps too small a sample to draw conclusions from, but there is a chance India could look to shore up their batting with another specialist in the middle order.Bangladesh have issues to worry about too. They went 104 balls without hitting a boundary at one stage of the first ODI, and all that pressure contributed to their collapse from 128 for 4 to 136 for 9. If the pitch on Wednesday is a similar one, their batters may need to come out with clearer plans regarding their scoring areas.Their bowling, however, was impressive. Mustafizur, Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud forced the batters onto the back foot, literally and figuratively, and Shakib Al Hasan made skillful use of the natural variation on offer to bag five wickets. Mehidy was also effective inside the first powerplay. If they can put on another collective display on Wednesday, India might find it difficult to get back into the series.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWLLW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India LLWWL

In the spotlight

Mohammed Siraj was a bright spot in India’s inexperienced bowling attack on Sunday, bowling with lively pace and extracting a bit of movement to take three wickets. Siraj has only played 14 ODIs, but he’s shown the skill across phases to lead a pace-bowling attack that is without Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. If there is help for him on Wednesday, expect him to continue posing problems to Bangladesh’s batters.After the first ODI, Mehidy Hasan Miraz said it didn’t seem like Litton Das was leading the ODI side for the first time. For a cricketer of his stature, Litton hasn’t captained a lot in major domestic or franchise cricket, but he has caught the eye with his tactical nous and maturity. He is undoubtedly the leading batter across formats for Bangladesh in 2022, particularly in ODIs where they are without regular captain Tamim Iqbal. The challenges are getting bigger for Litton, though, and he’ll want to lead the way with bat and in the field as Bangladesh look to press home the advantage after taking a 1-0 lead.Shakib Al Hasan was the most impressive cog in a collective bowling display in the first ODI•AFP/Getty Images

Team news

Bangladesh are unlikely to break their winning combination for the second ODI. Russell Domingo, their head coach, said on the eve of the match that the team management wouldn’t risk Taskin Ahmed, despite his having mostly recovered from the back issue that he sustained during a Bangladesh Cricket League match in late November.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 2 Litton Das (capt), 3 Anamul Haque, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ebadot Hossain.India may want to add a batter to their line-up for the second ODI. Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tripathi and Rajat Patidar could be up for selection in that case. It is not yet known if Axar Patel has recovered from the rib injury that kept him out of the first ODI. If he has, he is likely to replace Shahbaz Ahmed. Shardul Thakur suffered cramps in the opening ODI but is fit for Wednesday, Dhawan confirmed.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Kuldeep Sen.

Pitch and conditions

Spin will continue to have a major role in the second match in Dhaka, and the fast bowlers will have uncertain pace and bounce to exploit if the pitch plays like it did on Sunday. Both sides will probably look to bowl first despite the 12pm start as dew remains a factor in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• In the opening match of India’s last ODI series in Bangladesh in 2015, Mustafizur Rahman took a five-wicket haul on debut. This time he went wicketless in the series-opener, but his 10 not out ended up being a match-winning effort.
• Shakib and Ebadot made it the fourth time that two Bangladeshi bowlers took four or more wickets in an ODI innings. It was the second occasion on which a fast bowler was involved in the combination.
• If Virat Kohli scores 21, he will become the second visiting batter to score 1000 ODI runs in Bangladesh. Kumar Sangakkara heads that list with 1045 runs. Kohli’s 979 runs have come at an average of 75.30 and a strike rate of 99.59.

Quotes

“The guys were ecstatic. Very happy. Rightfully so. It was a fantastic win for us. But come today, it’s done. We have had a good long chat. We have to take the positives and learnings from the last game. We have to try to improve in every department tomorrow because we know it will be a tough game.”

The BCCI has adopted a closed bid auction method, and will announce the winners on Monday

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jan-2023All the major Indian broadcasters, including Disney Star*, Viacom 18, Sony and Zee, will be bidding for the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) media rights at an auction on Monday. The BCCI has adopted a closed bid auction method for the day-long event, and will announce the winner on the same day.ESPNcricinfo has learned that eight potential bidders had bought the tender document which was put on sale in December. The rights, spanning a five-year period between 2023-27, comprised three categories: linear (TV), digital and combined (TV and digital). The rights will be sold globally, including India.The BCCI has also decided not to set a base price as it wants the market to determine its value considering the WIPL is untapped territory. This is in contrast to the process it adopted when it sold the media rights for the men’s IPL last year for a record net sum of close to US$ 6 billion. Those rights were split across multiple categories and regions and were fiercely contested by multiple players with the auction exercise stretching for three days.Related

• Eight IPL franchises confirmed to be in race for WIPL teams

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The WIPL media rights are significant because they constitute the majority of the central commercial pool from which the five franchises will get 80% of their revenue. In the tender document for franchise rights, the BCCI has mentioned that it would share 80% of the commercial rights income it derives from WIPL with the teams in the first five years, 60% in the following five years, and 50% after that. In addition, the franchises will also get 80% of the money derived from the central licensing rights.Having conducted the Women’s T20 Challenge initially as an exhibition event, the BCCI last year finally decided to launch the WIPL with its inaugural edition set to be played in March. While the BCCI has not yet announced the tournament dates, it is understood that the first season, spanning 22 matches, is likely to be played between March 5 and 23.The BCCI will unveil the five WIPL franchises on January 25. The financial bids of these franchises, currently submitted in sealed envelopes, will be opened on that day. The BCCI has listed 10 cities in the bid document. So far, at least eight of the 10 men’s IPL franchises have confirmed they would be bidding for a franchise.

Zimbabwe had earlier been bowled out for 144 after losing their last four wickets for just seven runs

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2023Ross Adair, playing only his second international game, stroked a 47-ball 65 to help Ireland to a six-wicket victory against Zimbabwe, and level the three-match series going into the decider in Harare on Sunday.Chasing 145, Ireland made a steady but sedate start, as Adair and Andy Balbirnie added 48 for the first wicket. Two quick wickets from Ryan Burl looked to give Zimbabwe a way back into the game, but Adair and Harry Tector stitched together a 59-run partnership that put the visitors in sight of the win. Adair was eventually dismissed in the 16th over, having struck two fours and four sixes during his half-century, but Tector (26) and George Dockrell saw Ireland home in the final over, with two deliveries to spare; Dockrell finished the game with a six off Brad Evans, who leaked 38 runs from 3.4 overs.Earlier, Zimbabwe, in the absence of Gary Ballance, who was hit on the helmet in the previous game, managed 144 from their 20 overs. The team lost Tadiwanashe Marumani in the first over, but rebuilt through Innocent Kaia (25) and the captain Craig Ervine (42). At 117 for 4 in the 16th over, the hosts were looking for a final flourish, but two quick strikes from Graham Hume derailed their momentum. Zimbabwe lost their last four wickets for just seven runs, to be bowled out for 144.Hume ended with figures of 4-0-17-3, while Tector took 2 for 22 from his four overs.

Power issues caused the cable car she was on ‘to drop a little bit and swing’

Valkerie Baynes23-Feb-20231:17

Moonda: Big crowd expected at Newlands for Women’s World Cup semi-final

England are targeting a calm performance in their Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Friday, but opening batter Danni Wyatt’s nerves were frayed in the lead-up during an incident involving a cable car she was travelling in down Table Mountain.Wyatt revealed during a pre-match press conference in Cape Town on Thursday that a cable car she was travelling in while descending the peak on Wednesday afternoon “decided to drop a little bit and swung”.Related

• England have the upper hand but South Africa have home support

• Nat Sciver-Brunt: England wanted to 'show everyone what we're about'

Members of the England Women’s team were queuing for the cable cars, which transport visitors up and down the 1,086m mountain, when they saw one stop on its way up, which Wyatt said had made her “nervous”. It was shortly after Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley had boarded a car to descend that the incident occurred, stemming from a technical problem with a hydraulic back-up motor used to operate the cars when power to the usual electric motor is cut during load shedding. South Africa has been increasingly hit by load shedding, where the power supply is rationed to different areas throughout the day and night because demand outweighs capacity.”Going back down yesterday, there were a few technical issues that made me very nervous before we boarded the cable car,” Wyatt said. “And then it decided to drop a little bit and swung. It was a very terrifying experience. I don’t think I’ll be going up that mountain again anytime soon.”Wyatt said it wasn’t her first visit to Table Mountain, having been there “about seven years ago” but the incident on her latest visit had put her off returning.Danni Wyatt: ‘I’m not going on that cable car ever again. It’s the load shedding, once the electricity goes, that’s it.’•ICC/Getty Images

“I think that’ll be the last time,” she said. “I’m not going on that cable car ever again. It’s the load shedding, once the electricity goes, that’s it. Staying away from it. I’ll take the stairs.”Asked if she screamed, Wyatt replied: “Yes, I did. I think everyone did. Well, literally everyone. A lot of people were shaking.”Wahida Parker, managing director of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company, said: “Table Mountain Cableway Company uses a hydraulic back-up motor during load shedding that replaces the electric motor that operates our cars and their movement. This motor experienced a technical problem on Wednesday, which caused our cars to get stuck on the line.”We adopted two approaches simultaneously to resolve the problem. Our technicians worked to find the fault so that we could get moving as soon as possible, while at the same time, we contacted the City of Cape Town to ask that the power to our area be restored so that we could bring our passengers down safely and quickly.”We pride ourselves on providing visitors with a positive and enjoyable experience, and what happened on Wednesday is not what we aim for. We sincerely regret the experience that passengers had who were stuck in our cars. We are happy to confirm that all the passengers safely reached the upper and lower stations.”

Surrey batter not looking too far ahead after successful shift up order under Stokes and McCullum

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Apr-2023Ollie Pope is among many within English cricket watching Ben Stokes at the IPL with bated breath.Despite nursing a troublesome left knee, Stokes chose to fulfil his commitment to Chennai Super Kings. Reinforced by a cortisone injection prior to travelling out to India, England’s Test captain is currently two games into his stint and even bowled in the victory over Lucknow Super Giants on Monday, albeit an over that went for 18. Even with promises from the man himself that he won’t take undue risks, and the reassurance offered by head coach Brendon McCullum that the medical team at Chennai – one of McCullum’s former franchises – will look after Stokes, everything is crossed he arrives back in one piece ahead of an Ashes summer.For Pope, the concern is a little more complex. While Stuart Broad was the unofficial vice-captain during the 2022 summer, it was Pope who actually fulfilled the role over the winter, skippering two warm-up matches – against England Lions in Abu Dhabi ahead of December’s Pakistan tour, then in New Zealand ahead of the two-match series in February. Granted, they were low-key affairs (both two-day matches which Stokes chose to skip), but the England management gave Pope the opportunities to further his leadership credentials and were impressed by what they saw.Related

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• Surrey hold the crown but Lancashire looking to go one better

• Surrey sign Latham for mid-season Championship stint

Stokes has been reticent to name a deputy officially. But should he be unable to take to the field at any point this summer – he might even choose to sit out the Ireland Test at Lord’s which begins on June 1 – Pope is evidently the next in line. Though he hopes otherwise, Pope backs himself to do the job, if required. His only previous experience in competitive cricket came in September 2021, leading Surrey in a County Championship match against Glamorgan.”It’s not a conversation that’s been had, it’s just something that if it comes about, then I feel confident,” Pope said. “I feel the cricket brain’s good enough to allow that to happen. Whether they choose to do that in a Test, I’ve honestly no idea.”Fingers crossed, touch wood – his [Stokes] knee’s all good. Firstly, that’s not something we’ve spoken about. I don’t know if Stokesy did go down, I’m not sure who would do it to be honest, we’ve not spoken about it.”There’s really one Ben Stokes, isn’t there, in England. And I think that’s something that if he did get injured and someone had to do it, no one is going to try and replicate exactly what he does, but take the ideas he implemented into the team. Do it slightly in their own way, but continue the messages that he provides if someone were to do it if he did get injured. Again, touch wood, he’s all good.”Pope enjoyed leading those warm-up matches and believes it has given him a new perspective on the field. Throughout five Tests in Pakistan and New Zealand – four of them England wins – he watched Stokes a little closer: “What he does with the bowlers and what he does with the fields and how he talks to his bowlers as well.”He seemingly took those lessons on board, and was a more vocal presence in games, whether consulted by Stokes between overs or offering his own suggestions regarding on-field tactics. Coaches are particularly enamoured with how Pope has emerged as a more senior member of the squad, something which is no doubt linked to taking more responsibility as the No. 3 batter in this exciting new iteration of the Test team.That, ultimately, will be his primary focus this summer. Since moving to first-drop, Pope is averaging 41.63 across 12 caps, a marked improvement from the 28.66 across the previous 13. As impressive as the two centuries and five fifties in that time is the strike rate of 75.04, in line with the positive mantra espoused by Stokes and McCullum.Pope is gearing up to start the Championship season with Surrey•Getty Images

Pope credits the pair for making him a better player now. The shift in mindset has benefitted him greatly, as has the faith shown in him. This time last year, after being dropped after a dispiriting Ashes series – England lost 4-0 and Pope averaged 11.16 from three Tests – he boldly decided to call up a newly appointed Stokes and request a move up the order. It was a gamble, from both parties, that has paid off.”I feel a much better player,” Pope said. “I’ve got a better defence and a better game plan. That’s come through just constantly playing.”Our new mindset in that England team means I go into a Test series really excited for it, rather than thinking: ‘Oh, if I miss out this time, I hope it’s not going to be my last.'”They should be the best times of your life, playing for England, and they’ve [Stokes and McCullum] made that pretty clear. Your career’s too short for you not to love those moments so that’s a good message for me. You’ve got to enjoy it while you’re there.”Surrey begin the defence of their County Championship title on Thursday, against Lancashire at Old Trafford. It will be the first of six matches they will be able to call on Pope before the international season gets going. Having contributed 700 runs at an average of 70 last time around, his aim, for now, is to get the club off to a strong start in Division One. Then he will allow himself to get excited for the challenges ahead, particularly those five Tests against Australia.”What worked for me last year was that when I was at Surrey and I was around for the start of the Championship, I didn’t necessarily think I was going to be playing for England. I wasn’t thinking about England.”That’s going to be my plan again this year. I’ve got half an eye on it just from a mental and physical state, so you know you can peak at the right time. But while I’m here I’m going to 100 percent concentrate on this because that’s what’ll put me in good stead for the Ashes. It’s something to really look forward to, something I’m really excited for. But while you’re here in a Surrey shirt, why not enjoy this as well?”