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ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between England and South Africa at The Oval

The Preview by David Hopps30-Aug-2012Match factsAugust 31, The Oval
Start time 1300 (1200 GMT)AB de Villiers: captain, wicketkeeper and key batsman in the world’s No. 1 ODI side•PA PhotosBig PictureSouth Africa are tempted to smirk at England’s captaincy predicament, with Andrew Strauss’ resignation after the defeat in the Test series still fresh in the mind, and gossip sounding about how much damage Kevin Pietersen’s stand-off with the powers-that-be is causing English cricket. The England dressing room was a sad place in Southampton when Strauss stood down and if the opposition are not at their best it all helps South Africa implant their status as the best side in world cricket.Delve too deeply, however, and before too long they will have issues of their own. Nobody is sure quite how long Graeme Smith will want to continue as Test captain and whether South Africa’s rise to No. 1 in the Test rankings has silenced for the time being his occasional musings that he would like to finish his international career as a respected senior player with no leadership responsibilities.The odds are that Smith is a leader in Test cricket until the day he retires, but that all puts the spotlight on his replacement in the one-day side, AB de Villiers. He has recently taken on the triple role of batsman, wicketkeeper and captain in one-day cricket, but surely to do that at Test level, after Mark Boucher’s tragic accident, would be unthinkable. Comparisons with MS Dhoni, who fulfils all three roles but bats at No. 7, are not entirely valid.This is de Villiers’ third series in charge and in Southampton it all went swimmingly. Already he seems to be confirmed to keep wicket in the Test series in Australia before the New Year. Ranked No. 1 in all three formats or not, those youthful looks could soon be coming under pressure.Form guide (Most recent first, completed matches)
South Africa WWWWL
England LWWWW
Players to watch …Ravi Bopara’s place seems assured in England’s top six because of his ability to share a bowling spot with Samit Patel so that makes it hard to include the new kid on the block, Jonny Bairstow. One way to balance things up would be for England to play five specialist bowlers. The lack of Graeme Swann at No. 9 – he is rested for the last three ODIs – as a dangerous tail-ender makes this less likely, if not out of the question.Robin Peterson, once forced into a stock bowler’s role, now regards himself as South Africa’s attack dog in one-day cricket. When he conceded runs, captains and coaches used to question his ability. Then two years ago, he was given more licence to attack, finished the World Cup as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker and is now established in the side.Pitch and conditionsIt has rained in England seemingly since time began. It is not going to be quick.Team newsSwann’s withdrawal from the rest of the series means a probable return for James Tredwell, while Chris Woakes could oust Tim Bresnan after the latter’s expensive showing at West End.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 James Tredwell, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steve Finn.South Africa have not taken their media commitments very seriously since the end of their victorious Test series. They were an hour late for the media conference for The Oval by which time pretty much everyone had lost interest so it is hard to know what they will do. Albie Morkel is ruled out, though Dale Steyn could be closer to a return.South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 JP Duminy, 4 Dean Elgar, 5 AB de Villiers (capt, wk), 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Ryan McLaren, 9 Robin Peterson, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.Stats and triviaEngland’s appointment of Alastair Cook as Test captain in succession to Andrew Strauss ends their unique reliance on different captains for all three formats of the game.Paul Collingwood first suspected that Strauss was planning to retire when he told him he had bought a dog.South Africa last won an ODI at The Oval against England in 1999.Quotes “I jagged one down to him, he ducked under it and fell over. I remember the coach shouting from the back of the net, ‘You just got put on your arse by a 14-year-old!'”
“I like to take wickets instead of containing people. It’s probably the way one-day cricket has gone these days: the only way to control the run rate is by taking wickets all the time.”

Half-centuries from openers Neil Broom and Hamish Rutherford set up Otago’s tight five-wicket win off the final over, against Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2013
ScorecardHalf-centuries from openers Neil Broom and Hamish Rutherford set up Otago’s tight five-wicket win off the final over, against Auckland. The openers put on 104 in 9.2 overs, with Rutherford being the dominant partner, to keep their team in hunt of their target of 191. The middle-order batsmen didn’t hit many boundaries, but kept the scoreboard ticking, and despite a few wickets falling towards the end, the win was achieved comfortably.Auckland also played a dominant first innings to give themselves a strong chance to lift themselves from the lower half of the points table. The innings centred around middle-order batsman Anaru Kitchen’s 39-ball 66. After losing their first wicket off the second ball of the match, opener Lou Vincent and Gareth Hopkins put on 68 in 6.1 overs. The other productive stand, which built the strong total, was that of 89 between Kitchen and Colin de Grandhomme.However, Rutherord’s aggressive knock in Otago’s chase, of 50 off 26 deliveries, shifted the momentum their way. His opening partner, Broom, scored 60 off 40 deliveries, as Otago, with their fifth win this season, regained their position at the top of the points table.

Northamptonshire’s veteran batsman David Sales is to retire at the end of the season due to recurrent injury problems

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2014Northamptonshire’s veteran batsman David Sales is to retire at the end of the season. The 36-year-old, who made his debut for the county in 1996, had signed a one-year contract after Northamptonshire’s promotion in 2013 but a succession of injuries have curtailed his involvement this year.Sales was never capped by England, despite being called up to the A side, but scored over 14,000 first-class runs, as well as another 8000 in limited-overs cricket. He made an unbeaten 210 on debut against Worcestershire and passed 200 another seven times during his career, including his highest score of 303 not out against Essex at the age of 21.A stout strokemaker rather than a grafter, “Jumble” passed 1000 runs in each season between 2004 and 2008. His output was thinner after missing the whole of 2009 with a knee injury that required surgery but there was a return to form last season, with three hundreds, including another unbeaten double, as Northamptonshire returned to Division One.”I have had a fantastic time in cricket, but unfortunately picking up this serious ankle injury and to retire in this way is not how I planned it,” Sales said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my career and the last 20 years at Northants Cricket, and whilst disappointed that I didn’t play at the very highest level, I will look back with pride at my achievements.”Many thanks to the many friends I have made, on and off the pitch, and all of the supporters who have been fantastic to me throughout my career. I wish Northants Cricket and all the lads every success moving forward.”Having missed the start of the season with a calf injury, Sales hurt his ankle in a T20 match. He has only featured in three Championship fixtures, making 103 runs in six innings, as Northamptonshire have struggled to unglue themselves from the foot of the table.Northamptonshire’s head coach, David Ripley, who played alongside Sales for several seasons said: “Jumble’s retirement signals the end of an era at Northants. An international class batsman, top slip fielder, astute cricket brain and humorous contributor to dressing room banter, he will be sadly missed. I was fortunate to be playing in his debut match, and have witnessed most of his match-winning innings since then. I would like to thank him personally for his support and friendship and on behalf of everybody at Northants Cricket all the best in his future coaching career.”

GOAL tells you everything you need to know about the new season, including which superstars have joined Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East…

Pep Guardiola knows a thing or two about spending sprees, so when the manager of Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City says that Europe's elite clubs "need to be aware of what's happening" in the Saudi Pro League, you can be sure that something seriously significant is going down.

As the Catalan has correctly pointed out, the SPL has "changed the transfer market" this summer, paying one inflated transfer fee after another for players convinced to move to the Middle East by stunning salaries. As Odion Ighalo put it when asked why he and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo are in Saudi Arabia, "It's for money, bro."

The reasoning has been obvious from the start, though. The real interest lies in whether it's sustainable. It obviously is from a financial perspective. Saudi Arabian clubs have deep pockets, particularly Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal – who have just been taken over by the country's Public Investment Fund in a clear attempt to create a 'Big Four'.

The historic spending spree that has followed has undeniably captured the attention of the footballing world – the question now is whether the SPL can keep a hold of it. An entertaining and competitive 2023-24 campaign would certainly help in that regard, with the emphasis on the new arrivals to not only elevate the standard of play but also make new fans out of the many interested overseas observers.

So, what can we expect from the new season? And who's likely to come out on top? GOAL tells you everything you need to know below…

GettyAl-Ittihad

Al-Ittihad are the reigning champions and obvious favourites to win this season's title after a very productive summer. After all, Nuno Espirito Santo had already turned them into the most well-balanced team in the Pro League. They scored 60 goals last season – only Ronaldo's Al-Nassr managed more – but conceded just 13.

It's not difficult, then, to see the champions being even better in 2023-24, with N'Golo Kante and Fabinho having arrived to give even greater protection to the backline, and current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema set to spearhead an attack that has also been bolstered by the signing of former Celtic winger Jota, who could prove one of the surprise stars of the season, and still features last season's top scorer, Abderrazak Hamdallah.

Benzema, though, is obviously the key. He had his injury issues last season but he remains a world-class talent, which is precisely why Real Madrid were so desperate to keep him for another season. Indeed, the French forward is already banging in the goals in the Arab Club Champions Cup, so do not be at all surprised if Benzema beats former club-mate Ronaldo to the Pro League's top scorer award this season.

AdvertisementAl Nassr TwitterAl-Nassr

It's still hard to believe that Al-Nassr were top of the table when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo to great fanfare in January and yet failed to win the league. The Portuguese scored freely, of course, netting 14 times in just 16 games, but his frustration with Rudi Garcia's tactics quickly became obvious, and the French coach was sacked before the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

So the pressure now falls on Luis Castro to lead Al-Nassr to a first title since 2019. Ronaldo's compatriot doesn't exactly boast a stellar CV, but he did win the Ukrainian Premier League with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2020 and besides, he's taking over a squad that has been significantly strengthened over the summer.

How much Alex Telles will add to the defence is, of course, debatable after his trying time at Manchester United, but Seko Fofana should make a big impact in a midfield that will now be run by the excellent Marcelo Brozovic, who was Inter's best player in the Champions League final.

However, the signing that's generated most headlines is, of course, that of Sadio Mane. The Senegalese has endured a dramatic decline over the past 12 months that saw him go from a hero at Liverpool to a zero at Bayern Munich. However, the 31-year-old should still have more than enough left in the tank to run riot up front alongside Ronaldo, meaning Al-Nassr should once again be challenging for the title.

Hilal TwitterAl-Hilal

Al-Hilal's bid for a fourth consecutive Pro League title unravelled over the second half of last season, but that had a lot to do with the fact that they reached the final of both the Club World Cup, where they stunned Flamengo in the semi-finals, and the AFC Champions League.

However, the most successful side in Saudi Arabian football look far better equipped to win a record-extending 19th title this term – not least because they now have Jorge Jesus back in charge. The Portuguese fell out with his employers during his first spell at Al-Hilal, but he returns after four years away having only further enhanced his reputation as one of the game's great coaches by winning a Copa Libertadores with Flamengo, in 2019.

Jesus will also have a stellar squad at his disposal. Kalidou Koulibaly may have underwhelmed at Chelsea but the Napoli legend is an incredible acquisition for the centre of the defence, while Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have the makings of the best midfield pairing in the league.

Unlike many of the other players to have moved to Saudi Arabia this summer, both Neves and Milinkovic-Savic are still in their prime and the Serb, in particular, should quickly prove himself one of the most dominant players in the Pro League.

There have been no superstar signings up front as of yet – unless you count former Barcelona winger Malcom, who has joined from Zenit – but in Ighalo they already possess a proven goalscorer at this level. All things considered, a title challenge appears inevitable.

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Al Ahli TwitterAl-Ahli

Back in the top flight after winning last season's First Division, Al-Ahli were without a manager until the end of July before managing to lure Matthias Jaissle away from Red Bull Salzburg, which caused quite a bit of controversy. The German had won back-to-back Austrian titles with Salzburg, so they were furious when it emerged that he was in talks over a move to the Jeddah just two days before the start of the new Bundesliga season.

Al-Ahli won't care, though, after finally filling their coaching vacancy with the highly-rated Jaissle, who could work wonders with arguably the most exciting attacking line-up in the league. Star summer signings Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin really should form a fantastically fluid forward line with enough flicks and tricks to bamboozle even the best defences in Saudi Arabia.

However, Al-Ahli have also strengthened elsewhere, with the signing of Franck Kessie from Barcelona representing a real coup, given he was tipped to join Juventus. The Ivorian will add quality and physicality to the midfield, while ex-Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez is a great addition to the backline.

As for Eduouard Mendy, the Senegalese goalkeeper may have suffered a serious slump at Stamford Bridge, resulting in him losing his starting spot to Kepa Arrizabalaga, but if he can get back to anything resembling his Champions League-winning best, he could prove a real difference-maker.

A title triumph is perhaps too much to expect from the newly-promoted side, but the PIF-backed team will be expected to at least challenge for top spot.

Mohit Sharma revelled in a “dream” debut after he helped skittle Zimbabwe for just 144 in the fourth ODI in Bulawayo

Liam Brickhill at Queens Sports Club01-Aug-2013Mohit Sharma revelled in a “dream” debut after he helped skittle Zimbabwe for just 144 in the fourth ODI in Bulawayo. Entrusted with the new ball, as he had been through most of the IPL by MS Dhoni, Mohit made the first incision for India with the wicket of Sikandar Raza and then returned to remove Malcolm Waller in the batting Powerplay to snap a stubborn middle-order stand.”Yeah, it all feels like a dream,” Mohit said. “But I have worked on my bowling and it is showing. I am ready to do well in whatever opportunity I am going to get. I was just focusing on keeping things simple and sticking to basics. I did not want to try too many things and it worked for me today.”It was that same formula that first brought Mohit success in the Ranji Trophy with Haryana and it also worked a treat at this year’s IPL, where he emerged as one of the most miserly and effective new-ball bowlers of the tournament. It was also noticeable that, during every Indian nets session on this tour, Mohit consistently impressed with his ability to hit a length on or around off stump with almost every delivery.A correct call at the toss by Virat Kohli supplied Mohit with almost ideal conditions this morning and, apart from a single wide probably brought about by nervous excitement, his first over in international cricket was exemplary. He beat Vusi Sibanda’s bat four times in that first over, and it wasn’t until his third that a run was scored off the bat.It was his stock outswinger that brought his maiden wicket, with Raza feathering one behind, and Mohit’s opening six-over spell yielded just 13 runs. After a brief turn in the middle overs, Kohli brought him back for the Powerplay, with a well-set Waller and Elton Chigumbura having taken 11 runs from the first over under the fielding restrictions. Sharma responded to his captain’s call with Waller’s dismissal, also via the outside edge. A battling 80-run stand was broken, and Zimbabwe quickly subsided.”It is difficult to bowl in Powerplays but we work hard in practice sessions,” Mohit explained. “We create match situations during training and bowl a lot and that has helped in matches. And that is why we don’t feel much pressure in matches. Playing under Mahi [Dhoni] and in pressure conditions has taught me a lot. I am just carrying that experience into the international level.”Everyone already knew that Mohit could do a job with the new ball, and such was the ineptitude of Zimbabwe’s batting that his ability to vary his bowling with slower balls – which, again was on prime display in the IPL – and yorkers has not yet been tested. He’s in no rush to add new strings to his bow, however, and given his successes so far that’s understandable.”After coming into the Indian team I have learnt a lot from bowling coach Joe Dawes. It’s just about sticking to the basics and working on your strengths and improving on that. As far as learning new things in bowling, I can do that later and not in match situations. Now I want to focus on the next game and doing well in that as well.”

MS Dhoni, who will captain India for the 50th time in Tests, highlighted the importance of knowing one’s limitations and their strengths

Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg17-Dec-2013When he walks out for the toss at the Wanderers on Wednesday, MS Dhoni will have achieved a rare feat: having captained in 50 Tests a team that always plays under the scrutiny and pressure of expectation that the England football team or the All Blacks usually face. Only 32 years old, he often jokes about how he has greyed with the captaincy. There is a reason why no Indian has led in 50 Tests. Rahul Dravid, possibly the best on-field captain India have had, could manage the job for only 25 matches before resigning. Dhoni has obviously done some things right, one of which is that he might not even know that he is going to walk out for a 50th toss in whites.When Dhoni had the seniors – Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag gave him some of their best innings – he did the job perfectly for the most part. He knew all he needed to do was make sure they were in a good space and the performances would be delivered. He managed the off-field stuff well, which captains will tell you is equally important, if not more – remember Ian Chappell’s improvisation of a Bill O’Reilly line that even a collie dog can arrange a batting order and make bowling changes? Towards the end of the seniors’ careers, Dhoni perhaps trusted a good thing for too long, but largely he could do his job staying in the shadow and under the radar.Now, though, begins a new challenge for Dhoni. This is the first time he is captaining a side without any of his big guns. Even Gautam Gambhir is missing. India’s six specialist batsmen have a combined experience of 42 Tests, only three of them in South Africa. Dhoni knows he needs to be more proactive without being overbearing.MS Dhoni’s 50th Test as India captain is the beginning of a whole new challenge•BCCI”It will be quite different,” he said on the eve of the match. “When all the seniors were part of the side, you didn’t really have to worry much about how preparation is going because once you have played international cricket for a long time you know your game. At the same time you know how to prepare well in different conditions. Many of them had toured the same venues quite a few times, be it England, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.”But with the new set of players, at times you have to guide them as to what needs to be done, and what are the areas where they need to improve,” Dhoni said. “At the same time not getting too technical is also very important. Because you can’t change your technique in five-six-seven days. What’s important is to know your limitation, and at the same time know your strength.”An ideal scenario would have been a gradual phasing out of the seniors, so that some of them were around to take the new batsmen through their paces in away Tests. However, not for nothing is the India captaincy difficult. There are few ideal scenarios. Now all these young batsmen will have to go through this as newcomers. A newcomer, though, will find what Dhoni says reassuring. He is not imposing demands, he is not going to sit and say things would have been better with Tendulkar or Dravid or Laxman around. He is going to guide newcomers on how to prepare, he is going to leave technical matters to Duncan Fletcher, and he will ask that they give their best on match day.Dhoni is also going to ask his bowlers to pull their weight, a demand sometimes not made because the senior batsmen used to clean up after them. “One of the most crucial things to do is to bowl well, because to win Test matches you have to score runs but at the end of the day we need to take 20 wickets,” he said, when asked of the importance of batting well in the first innings. “So I think it will be very important to bowl in the right areas. [You need to] get used to the conditions really well. Try to hit the top of off stump because that’s the ideal length irrespective of where you are playing. It’s a bit of both, but of course we need to bowl really well. If we start well with that, we will carry off the confidence to other departments.”Dhoni will live with his bowlers not having the pace of Dale Steyn or the bounce of Morne Morkel, but he will want them to hit the top of off with the seam upright more often than not.It’s possible Dhoni doesn’t let things such as legacy play on his mind too much. However, after the last two horror away tours put a downer on his good work as captain, his 50th is almost a fresh start for Dhoni when it comes to leading a Test side.

A round-up of matches on the opening day of the Under-19 Asia Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2013Afghanistan Under-19 pulled off a three-wicket victory, after Zia-ur-Rehman’s five-for restricted Sri Lanka Under-19 to 191 for 9. Sri Lanka had made a steady start, with opener Hashan Dumindu scoring 61, but the innings faltered after the first-wicket stand of 64. They lost wickets in clutches, with Rehman jolting the top and lower order while Sharafuddin Ashraf, who took 2 for 30, hurting the middle. Rehman finished with 5 for 33 in ten overs. Afghanistan’s chase also slipped after a steady start: they went from 63 for 0 to 78 for 3 and then limped to 165 for 7. The asking rate was never an issue, though, and the captain Nasir Ahmadzai scored an unbeaten 28, and Ashraf hit 15 off eight balls, to take Afghanistan to victory with 15 balls to spare.Bangladesh Under-19 made short work of Malaysia Under-19 in their opening game of the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi, winning by nine wickets and 39.4 overs to spare. Malaysia lasted only 25.2 overs after they chose to bat and were dismissed for 50. Ahmad Tajudin Ismail was their top scorer with 15 and the only batsman to score in double figures. Bangladesh left-arm seamer Abu Haider finished with figures of 8-4-8-5. The Bangladesh top order did not waste time in the chase, achieving the target in 10.2 overs. Opener Shadman Islam was unbeaten on 25 off 26 balls.A hundred from Akhil Herwadkar and rapid half-centuries from Sanju Samson and Ricky Bhui led India Under-19 to a match-winning total against UAE Under-19. After India won the toss, Herwadkar made 101, while Samson scored 65 off 47 balls and Bhui 54 off 38 to amass a score of 320 for 4. UAE’s chase never got going and eventually only two of their batsmen made it into the 20s, and neither of them passed 30. Seamer Deepak Hooda took 4 for 21, while spinners Aamir Gani and Kuldeep Yadav took three and two wickets each for India. UAE were dismissed for 131 in 40.1 overs, giving India victory by 189 runs.Pakistan Under-19 batsmen Sami Aslam and Hasan Raza scored centuries to sink Nepal Under-19 by 132 runs. Aslam made a run-a-ball 108 while Raza contributed 100, and the innings was given boost by Zafar Gohar, who scored 50 off 26 balls to lead Pakistan to 311 for 6 in 50 overs. Nepal’s openers added 76 but they took 22.4 overs to do so and the asking rate soared. The innings fell away after Amit Shrestha’s 60 and Nepal were restricted to 179 for 7. Pakistan trialled as many as eight bowlers and left-arm spinner Kamran Ghulam was the best of the lot, taking 4 for 36 in ten overs.

Adelaide Oval will host the first-ever day-night Test against New Zealand in November and a T20 against India on Australia Day next year, with Cricket Australia announcing its international and domestic schedule for the 2015-16 season

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2015Adelaide Oval will host the first-ever day-night Test against New Zealand in November and a T20 against India on Australia Day next year, with Cricket Australia announcing its international and domestic schedule for the 2015-16 season.Australia 2015-16 at home

v NEW ZEALAND
Nov 5-9 1st Test, Brisbane
Nov 13-17 2nd Test, Perth
Nov 27-Dec 1 3rd Test, Adelaide

v WEST INDIES
Dec 10-14 1st Test, Hobart
Dec 26-30 2nd Test, Melbourne
Jan 3-7 3rd Test, Sydney

v INDIA
Jan 12 1st ODI, Perth
Jan 15 2nd ODI, Brisbane
Jan 17 3rd ODI, Melbourne
Jan 20 4th ODI, Canberra
Jan 23 5th ODI, Sydney
Jan 26 1st T20, Adelaide
Jan 29 2nd T20, Melbourne
Jan 31 3rd T20, Sydney

New Zealand will kick off the international summer with the first Test in Brisbane and the second in Perth before the day-night encounter in Adelaide. That will be followed by another three-Test series, with Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney hosting West Indies in December and January.India will then travel to Australia for a series of five ODIs in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. India will also play three T20s in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, where the SCG will host its first T20 international since February 2010, as part of a new seven-year agreement between CA, Cricket New South Wales and the SCG Trust that will see the SCG play host to all international cricket in the state from this summer.Australia Women will also take on India Women in three ODIs and three T20s during the same period as the men. The T20s will be played as double-headers prior to the men’s matches and will be broadcast live.The Sheffield Shield will be taken outside Australia for the first time with a match between New South Wales and Western Australia to be played in Lincoln, New Zealand. The match will be used as preparation by the Test side for the return series in New Zealand in February.The first round of the Shield will involve day-night matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart in the last week of October ahead of the day-night Test.Also in February, New South Wales and South Australia will play a Shield match in Coffs Harbour as a tribute to the late Phillip Hughes.The Matador BBQs One-Day Cup will kickstart the domestic season in October and will be played at five grounds in Sydney.The schedules for the Big Bash League, starting on December 17, and the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League, beginning on December 5, will be announced later this week.”The ICC Cricket World Cup was the biggest sporting event in our country since the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000,” said Mike McKenna, the CA executive general manager of operations.”Many Australians come from non-cricketing cultures and the World Cup was a great chance for the game to showcase itself and earn new fans from all parts of our increasingly diverse community.”We want to build on this great momentum. Following the World Cup, we are determined that local Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Afghan, Sri Lankan and other overseas-born fans who packed Australia’s grounds with good-humoured noise and colour are able to maintain their passion for cricket as part of their adopted Australian lifestyles.”This summer promises to be another history-making season for cricket in Australia. Test cricket will be played in every state including an inaugural day-night Test match between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide, a step designed to make following the cricket much easier for fans to attend the game or watch on television.”

Jonathan Trott was always going to be a tough man to replace at No. 3, but the early signs are that in Gary Ballance England have someone with the all-round game to take hold of the position

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2014Jonathan Trott was always going to be a tough man to replace at No. 3, but the early signs are that in Gary Ballance England have someone with the all-round game to take hold of the position.Since assuming the role in the first Test against Sri Lanka he has made 23, 104 not out, 74, 0 and 71 – his hundred, in his previous outing at Lord’s, was England’s first from No. 3 since Trott made 121 against New Zealand, at Wellington, in March 2013.The elevation up the order to a position Ballance had barely occupied in his professional career – and which had also been filled by Joe Root and Ian Bell after Trott left Australia – has meant the attacking batting he has come renowned for on the domestic circuit has largely been locked away, although he hinted at his potential when he charged towards three figures last month and reached the landmark with a six.However, he is more than happy to take on a more cautious role and has provided a stabilising effect on the top order to help counter, somewhat, the poor form of Alastair Cook. The latest he has come to the crease so far this season is in the 19th over.”I am happy to play the patience game, to bat for time and bat for as long as possible,” he said. “It would have been nice to have kicked on in those last few games but that’s how it goes and hopefully I can build on that. If you bowl straight or with tight lines then it is hard to score so you’ve got to be patient.”After a hostile debut against Mitchell Johnson in Sydney, Ballance is now starting to feel at home at international level. “I think so, I feel like I have brought some good form in to it, like I said, a few decent scores, it would be nice to kick on and get a really big score and a match-winning one to try to get us a win for England and get us going for the summer.”While batting remains the reason Ballance has been selected he showed unexpected promise with the lesser known skill of legspin, albeit during a light-hearted finish to the Trent Bridge Test when he sent down the penultimate over of the match. He had previously bowled 24 wicketless overs in first-class cricket but he may now put in some extra work in the nets.”To be honest I was quite nervous before I bowled, I wasn’t really expecting it,” he said. “I was just glad the first one landed and then after that I had a little bit of confidence and I bowled six balls, probably a bit slow, but I might get a few more overs in the nets and we’ll see where we go from there.”It is quite tough as a part time wrist spinner, it is difficult and although I bowled a lot in the nets a Yorkshire I never had the chance to bowl in a game.”Every captain does want that that extra option and maybe as a wrist spinner there might be an opportunity on a flat wicket where the game is going nowhere. Maybe I need to work on it a bit harder, but at the moment it is about concentrating on the batting and getting big scores.”Anyone who is able to offer Cook another viable option to give his quick bowlers a break should be encouraged to take his chance seriously.

Bowling coach Chaminda Vaas believes that Sri Lanka’s pace quintet can thrive in New Zealand conditions

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Dec-2014Somehow, Sri Lanka snuck them through customs. No part of their convoy was delayed or detained. Not even New Zealand’s biosecurity officers – a more fastidious breed than most – were wise to their transit. As of Tuesday afternoon, all five specimens had arrived intact in Christchurch ahead of the first Test.Though their official names are long and unpronounceable to most in the country, their wrangler, Chaminda Vaas, believes they can thrive in these conditions. They hope to do as well as the other invasive breeds to make New Zealand’s shores. Like the possum or the European rabbit, Sri Lanka’s pace quintet of Suranga Lakmal, Shaminda Eranga, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera are well-placed to raise hell when set loose, Vaas said.”All five seamers on tour have a lot of ability,” he said. “It’s very rare that we get five guys together who can all bowl 140kph. The conditions in New Zealand are great for quicks, and as a seamer you are overjoyed when you see tracks like what you have here, because you don’t get that in Sri Lanka. The pitches give you swing, and then if you bowl well, you can trap batsmen.”Vaas knows plenty about prospering in New Zealand. Of the nations he played in, he was most efficient in New Zealand, taking 36 wickets at an average of 22.55. Sixteen of those scalps came in 1995, when Vaas led Sri Lanka to their first-ever away series win, and as on that tour, he was largely the sole seam threat through his career. With a core cordon of quicks of roughly equivalent age and ability now having developed, the new group has an opportunity to become the best pace attack Sri Lanka have fielded, he said.”Being a fast bowler is all about learning and adding to your game. We share a lot among the group, and that’s when we develop together. What I try to tell the guys is to think about how you can be better than the other bowlers. That’s not to encourage jealousy or disunity – but to try and help us as a group to raise our standards. You have to be thinking that when someone else gets five wickets, you also want to get five. When you have that mentality and that competition, it’s easier to get wickets on any pitch.”They all have a responsibility to look after themselves, in terms of diet and discipline, because the demands of the international game are high. Their fitness has to be at an optimum level all the time, and their mental approach has to be the same. That’s what they need to do to get the best out of themselves, and the rest is up to their ability and the conditions.”Sri Lanka have been reliant on Rangana Herath’s left-arm spin since Muttiah Muralitharan’s retirement, but have this year begun to bank on their quicks as well. Their three overseas Test wins in 2014 – in Dubai, Dhaka and Leeds, have all been largely forged by the quicks. With the exception of uncapped Chameera, each of the other fast bowlers have played key roles in Sri Lanka’s recent Test successes.”In England we didn’t have Suranga, and now that he is back, it is a big strength,” Vaas said. “After Lasith Malinga, he is the guy who is in a similar place. His rhythm is excellent, and the other bowlers have something to learn from him.”Control and modest movement have been the Sri Lanka quicks’ hallmarks this year, but Prasad’s inclusion for the Headingley Test injected some hit-the-deck intensity that paid dividends on the fourth afternoon when he claimed four top-order wickets in one spell to set up that victory. No fast bowler in the attack has yet played more than 21 Tests, but Sri Lanka pose a varied threat nonetheless, Vaas said.”Suranga gets swing at pace and is a wicket-taking threat all the time. Eranga is very similar. None of these bowlers are very experienced, which is why it’s imperative that they improve every time they play. Dhammika Prasad has been in the team for a while, but he has only recently been able to play at a stretch because of his injuries. Thankfully he has been able to get his body 100%, and is at a very good fitness level.”They all have minor differences, but in key criteria, they are the same: they all bowl 140, they can all do something with the ball, and they have good control. Dhammika is a little different, because he hits the deck and then gets movement, while Suranga and Eranga move it more in the air.”Chameera, 22, took 3 for 13 in the warm-up match on a Queenstown greentop, but is unlikely to be in the XI on Boxing Day. Described by some coaches as the quickest young bowler in Sri Lanka’s domestic circuit, Vaas believed him to be an outstanding prospect.”He’s very talented and quite raw. Even though he doesn’t have much experience, he bowled very well in the last match. In a year, I trust he will be able to hit that 150kph mark. He just needs to take good care of his body, his rest, his diet and his mental approach.”