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A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope against New Zealand’s tired attack

Shashank Kishore05-Dec-2025A depleted New Zealand attack – effectively reduced to just two-and-a-half frontline bowlers – was made to toil as a defiant West Indies rearguard stretched the contest into a fifth day on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface.Forced off the field on day three by an eye infection, Shai Hope returned with sunglasses under his helmet to compile an unbeaten 116. It followed his first-innings 56 and marked his second century in three innings, a seamless extension of the defiance he showed while stonewalling India for long periods in New Delhi in October.If Hope was the fulcrum, Justin Greaves was the anchor beside him. He reined in his instincts to play a composed, almost uncharacteristically restrained hand to finish 55 not out off 143 balls. His unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Hope was worth 140 as New Zealand’s attack toiled under the blazing Christchurch sun.Related

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Nathan Smith did not come out to bat and spent the entire innings off the field with a side strain. When Matt Henry left the field after the 35th over – later heading to hospital next door for scans – with West Indies 92 for 4, New Zealand may have hoped to finish off the game quickly.But with his bowling resources rapidly thinning, Tom Latham – already standing in with the gloves due to Tom Blundell’s torn hamstring that ruled him out of not just this Test but the next – was left to lean heavily on Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell’s part-time spin around pacer Jacob Duffy. On a surface that only got easier to bat on against the old ball, Hope and Greaves settled in and applied themselves admirably.Having begun with positive intent, Hope was tested periodically with the short ball, Duffy setting a square leg halfway to the rope along with a short leg and fine leg for the pull. Hope mostly swayed and ducked out of harm’s way, and on the rare occasions he was tempted into the shot, he did well to keep it down. He brought up his fourth Test century off 139 deliveries.Duffy employed a similar plan to Greaves, whose natural game is far more instinctive. But to his credit, Greaves appeared to take a cue from Hope, choosing restraint instead. He played only when the ball was at his body, using his height to ride the bounce and fend safely. While he was a lot more enterprising against spin, the fundamental of his knock was crease occupation.Justin Greaves played a composed knock of 55 not out off 143 balls•Getty Images

Hope and Greaves laid down the template for those who perished prior to their arrival. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and John Campbell were put through a stern new ball test by Foulkes and Henry as they repeatedly tested both their edges in an engaging first spell. Chanderpaul’s propensity to shuffle across got him into trouble more often than not, and was out to a short ball that he inside-edged to the keeper for 6 off 45 balls.Campbell – out an over earlier – was taken out by Foulkes as he jabbed at an away-swinger with no feet movement as Bracewell took a superb low catch at second slip. In the overs prior to his dismissal, Campbell wore a blow on his boot as he smashed one back off an inside-edge, making him groan in discomfort. This may have eventually had a hand in his dismissal.Alick Athanaze never got going, and the frustration of being unable to score had him attempt a pull, only to be rushed into the stroke by Bracewell. He only managed to toe-end a pull to mid-on. And when Roston Chase fell in eerily similar fashion to his dismissal in the first innings – nibbling at a Henry away-swinger while being rooted to the crease – West Indies were collapsing swiftly and were 72 for 4.A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope even as New Zealand’s tired attack wheeled away in the hope of a mistake. That wasn’t to come, as West Indies took the fight into the final day even though hopes of scaling down the 531-run target they were set seem just a pipe dream for now.Earlier in the morning, New Zealand surprised many by choosing to bat on. Perhaps this was to give their bowlers more rest on a placid surface, considering the slew of injuries. Kemar Roach picked up three of the four wickets to fall, finishing with figures of 5 for 78 to take his wickets tally to 290.

Spinners Smale and Maqsood strangle chase as visitors fall narrowly short

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Jul-2025Cordelia Griffith’s bustling knock of 60 from 35 balls laid
the foundations for Essex to end their Vitality Blast campaign on a high by seeing off Durham at Chelmsford.The right-hander shared a second-wicket partnership of 66 from 44 with skipper Grace Scrivens (48 from 39) as the home side posted 164 for 3.Durham looked well-placed to chase that down after an opening stand of 78 from 57 between Suzie Bates, who top-scored with 45 from 39 and Emma Marlow – but the momentum shifted after the pair both departed in quick succession.Spinners Abtaha Maqsood and Sophia Smale, who both returned 2 for 26, squeezed the visitors further and their five-match unbeaten sequence came to an end as they fell nine runs short.With Lauren Winfield-Hill returning to Yorkshire at the end of her loan spell, Maddie Penna moved up to open with Scrivens and their partnership of 63 from 52 provided Essex with a strong start after winning the toss.Having pummelled Katherine Fraser to the fence twice in her knock of 25 from 29, the hard-hitting Australian was then given out leg before, but Griffith took up the baton with relish as she lifted Sophia Turner over long-on for six.Griffith’s positive running between the wickets, allied with aggressive strokeplay, propelled her beyond her partner as she raced to a 26-ball half-century but Scrivens narrowly missed out on that landmark, caught reverse paddling Sophia Turner.Durham finished strongly, with legspinner Katie Levick (1 for 24) removing Griffith and she and Sophia Turner gave away just 13 from the last two overs – six of those from the final ball of the innings, dispatched out of the ground by Jo Gardner.Like the home side, Durham progressed through their batting powerplay without shedding any wickets and Bates’ powerful striking kept the scoreboard ticking along as she thumped Kate Coppack for successive boundaries.Marlow (25 from 23) filled a capable supporting role until her miscued drive off Smale sailed into the hands of extra cover – and Durham lost their other set batter in the next over when Bates holed out off Maqsood.The legspinner also accounted for Hollie Armitage, bowled attempting a reverse sweep, but former Essex player Mady Villiers (28 from 22) and Bess Heath (24 from 18) kept the visitors in contention, adding a quickfire 40.However, the task of scoring 17 from the final over proved beyond Durham, who lost two wickets in three balls to stumpings by Amara Carr as Penna closed the game out.

On opportunities for young girls in the sport in Australia, Johnson said there was a need for more 50-over cricket

Andrew McGlashan30-Jun-2020Across the space of three days in 2011 playing for Queensland, Sammy-Jo Johnson dismissed Alyssa Healy twice.It wasn’t long after she had been told there wasn’t a place for her with New South Wales. Now, nine years later, the stars have aligned to bring her back to Sydney as she pushes her case for Australia selection.Her partner, Brian, found work in Sydney and after he had done so much to support Johnson’s career, it was a chance to repay the favour. And it just so happened that New South Wales had vacancies in the pace department following the retirements of Rene Farrell and Sarah Aley.”As a young teenager the dream was to play for the [NSW] Breakers,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t think I’ve really come to terms with it. I don’t regret playing for Queensland; I’ve loved the opportunity, I’ve had nine years and they’ve helped me become the person I am today. I wouldn’t be where I am without Queensland Cricket. But it is nice to come back – this was a dream, now I get to do it when I’m at the top of my game and hopefully, it might give me a chance to put on that green and gold shirt.”ALSO READ: All the Australian state squads for the 2020-21 seasonHowever, the journey has been far from easy. Her father died in 2012, there followed two years where she didn’t represent Queensland and jobs were lost, leaving the battle to scrape together a living and find somewhere to live. It appeared as though the cricket career could fade away.”You come across adversities – everyone goes through different things – and experiencing what I did at the ages I did has made it so much easier when you are in a professional environment, because you know when you have a bad day. I’ve always got the outlook that there is more to life than cricket, but you enjoy it while you can,” she said. “Every day I get to put on the kit of whatever team I’m playing for, I just enjoy it, have fun. I’m a pretty laid-back person. I’ve also said it’s not a right, it’s a privilege to put on a shirt and that’s what I live by.”Early doors I thought this is awesome – I want to play for my country – then life hits you smack bang in the face and you go, ‘hang on, am I good enough?’ You go through some ups and downs, start second-guessing your skill. I was driving three-and-half hours each way from Lismore to Brisbane three times a week to train, off the back of not a lot of money in women’s cricket. The love and passion for the game is what drives most of us, because anyone [of] my age realises it’s not about the money. We do it because we love the game and play with our mates.”Johnson has pushed hard for that international debut over the last two years, earning regular Australia A selection and performing impressively for the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL. Where she plays her Big Bash cricket next season still remains to be confirmed due to the contract embargo currently in place, but her last two summers have brought 38 WBBL wickets while in 2018-19, she also hit 260 runs at a strike-rate of 139.78.Sammy-Jo Johnson celebrates her half-century•Getty Images

“My first [Australia A] tour was to India so that was very eye-opening,” she said. “I was actually very nervous because I’d never been to the subcontinent. You start second-guessing yourself a little – am I fit enough, am I strong enough? – but I played really well, and really enjoyed the experience. That set me up for WBBL 4. I just had self-belief and it’s funny what a bit of self-belief can do for you.”Last year, Johnson closed up the gardening business she co-owned so she could focus more on her cricket and that international ambition. She is currently employed part-time with Rebel Sport, a job that allows her the freedom to focus on training and playing when needed.”Trying to play cricket at this level, traveling, touring, it got too hard trying to run the behind the scenes stuff,” she said. “If I really want to give playing for Australia a red hot crack, I needed to commit those extra hours that I’m spending on paperwork and admin, into recovering and making sure I’m ready for my next session or game.”I think [Australia] is the hardest team in the world to get into at the moment because they are so successful and everyone plays their role. You don’t want people to get injured, but I feel like it’s your only foot in the door at the moment – which is good because you want that competition. If I can keep churning out consistent performances with the ball and bat I’m hoping going to give the selectors no reason not to pick me.”However, there is another challenge to moving to the next level: playing enough cricket. That is particularly relevant approaching a 50-over World Cup, which is due to take place next February and March in New Zealand, with the Women’s National Cricket League consisting of eight round-robin matches per team and a final. In May, when domestic cricket was briefly threatened with cuts amid Cricket Australia’s problems, Australia’s wicketkeeper Healy spoke out about the imbalance in the game, and Johnson believes the WNCL should be expanded to a full home-and-away season campaign of 12 matches.”We train for so many months of the year and we’ve only just got to eight WNCL games,” she said. “Myself and all the players in other states want to be playing more cricket. The WBBL is fantastic, I think we have the right number of games for that and it now has its own window. I hope off the back of the T20 World Cup final that women’s cricket will only get bigger, but for the young kids coming through it’s not just about 20-over cricket. There’s a one-day World Cup next year and we need more 50-over cricket so the girls can continue to show their skills to put pressure on for the Aussie team.”Come the new season, Johnson will be taking every chance she has to do just that.

Captain backs positive approach after batters get caught in two minds on final day

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Jun-20213:57

What’s ailing Cheteshwar Pujara?

Virat Kohli, India’s captain, says that his batters may need to take more “risks” in tough conditions to provide more support to their bowling attack.Kohli’s India were bowled out for 217 and 170 in their two innings in Southampton, en route to an eight-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the inaugural World Test Championship final.Though they began the final day with an overnight score of 64 for 2 and a lead of 32, India were bowled out before tea in the best weather conditions of the match, with New Zealand’s four main seamers sharing the wickets around before Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor sealed a 139-run chase with 7.1 overs remaining in the match.Only Rishabh Pant, dropped on 5 in the morning session, found any meaningful resistance as he improvised his way to 41 from 88 balls before holing out to deep backward point, and during the post-match presentation Kohli told Michael Atherton that India were about “30-40 runs short” of a defendable target.Expanding on that point afterwards, Kohli said that some of India’s batting might have been too circumspect in their attempts to combat a well-structured and versatile New Zealand bowling unit.Related

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Pant’s innings attracted criticism in some quarters, particularly the shot that led to his wicket, but Kohli warned that it would be counter-productive to cramp his expansive style – one that has proved crucial in recent months, from their historic series win in Australia last winter to the more recent home victory over England.”Rishabh is just going to be a very expressive player whenever he gets an opportunity,” Kohli said. “Whenever there is a situation that needs to be understood, I think he assesses it really well. When things don’t come off, you can say that it was an error of judgment and that’s acceptable in sportKyle Jamieson celebrates after dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara•AFP via Getty Images

“We don’t want him to lose his positivity or his optimism in changing the situation for the team, and that’s where his USP lies, and we will definitely continue to back him to play that way and find ways to put pressure on the opposition and find ways to score runs, which is his natural game.”India’s next assignment is a five-Test series against England, starting in August, and Kohli warned that his team would need to heed the lessons of this defeat if they are to combat a similarly well-disciplined seam attack, featuring the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who won the corresponding series in 2018 by four Tests to one.”You need to find ways to disrupt that,” Kohli said. “If you don’t put their bowlers under pressure then they have the fitness and the consistency to bowl long spells and keep bowling all day in the same areas and trouble you, and the more momentum you give them, then invariably they get the breakthroughs they want.””The mindset has to be to score runs and find ways to score runs,” he added. “You can’t be too worried about getting out because you are [then] bringing the bowler into the game completely and not moving the game forward. We know that, as a batting unit, if we consistently put up 300 on the board then it is a different kind of pressure on the opposition with the kind of bowlers that we have.”The idea from here on will be to try to score runs and not worry about getting out in testing conditions,” Kohli said. “That’s the only way you can score and put the opposition under pressure, otherwise you’re just literally standing there hoping that you don’t get out and eventually you will because you’re not being optimistic enough.”I think you have to take more risks and calculated risks and be confident about taking those risks against a quality bowling attack like New Zealand.”

‘Whether it’s next year or in five years’ time, I don’t know’ says CSK captain

Sruthi Ravindranath20-Nov-2021MS Dhoni has indicated that he would continue playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL – for at least one more season – as he hopes for a Chepauk farewell.Earlier, following Super Kings’ win in the IPL 2021 final against Kolkata Knight Riders, Dhoni had said any decision about his retirement would be taken keeping in mind the needs of the franchise. With the mega auction coming up, and with teams allowed to retain only four players, his future seemed uncertain although Super Kings boss N Srinivasan had hinted that he will stay on with the franchise in some capacity.”I have always planned my cricket,” Dhoni said at an event hosted by the Super Kings. “The last ODI that I played in India was in Ranchi. Hopefully my last T20 will be in Chennai. Whether it’s next year or in five years’ time, I don’t know.”Dhoni has led the Super Kings right from the first season in 2008, taking them to four titles. They have made the playoffs in every IPL they had been a part of, barring 2020. Over time, Dhoni has not only become integral to the Super Kings brand but the city of Chennai itself.”The association started in 2008 when it comes to IPL, but it started before that when it came to play some of the other formats,” Dhoni said. “One of the most memorable being my Test debut, you know, which happened is in Chennai. I think I never knew that I’ll be picked by CSK, I was in the auction and I got picked and it gave me an opportunity to understand the culture, which was very different from where I actually came from.”And what made it even more different was I’m like a wanderer. My parents came from Uttar Pradesh. It was initially UP, then it became Uttarakhand. I was born in Ranchi which was Bihar. Then later on became Jharkhand. I got my job at the age of 18, with railways in West Bengal, you know, Kharagpur and then I came to Chennai and I believe Chennai taught me a lot. Tamil Nadu taught me a lot when it came to how to conduct myself, how to appreciate the game. Each and every game that we played at Chepauk the fans came and supported good cricket.”The Chennai Super Kings won their fourth IPL title in 2021•BCCI

Super Kings came into the 2021 IPL on the back of a poor run in 2020 and with an ageing squad as well. But they went on to win nine of the 14 league games to finish second on the table, then beat table-toppers Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 1 to reach the final, and eventually toppled Knight Riders in convincing fashion to claim the title. Dhoni said that the franchise and fans’ backing gave the players the confidence to bounce back in the way they did.”We had a very good run when it came to franchise cricket but it became interesting in 2020. That was the first season where we didn’t qualify to the next stage of IPL. It gave us a chance to test the real character of the franchise, because when the going is good, you always keep talking about what you do, what is the process that you follow, but it gave us an opportunity to earn the respect of the players and the fans, you know, because we said we believe in the process, we don’t believe in the result.”And the result definitely didn’t go in our favour in 2020 and I feel we earned the respect of the men because they said this is what they do. They walk the talk and that’s one of the main reasons why I believe we could come back strongly and we were able to win that title.”Dhoni has been asked about his future at Super Kings a number of times during the course of the last two seasons. And this time, Srinivasan also had an answer for it, explaining what Dhoni means to the franchise and to the players who have played under him.”People keep bugging him, ‘are you going to continue?’ He is there, he hasn’t gone anywhere,” Srinivasan said. “He is still there. That’s why when somebody said ‘what about your legacy?’ he said ‘I’ve not gone.'”So many international captains have played under him. If you look at CSK, we have had a star-studded side. We also have people who aren’t superstars. He has managed superstars and other players too. It is universally acknowledged that any player will give his best, better than his best, under MS Dhoni.”The problem now with the management of CSK is how to get the whole gang back. Because one of the reasons for success of CSK has been consistency and also at all times we have shown faith to our players. We don’t like to leave any player.”Srinivasan also spoke about the only time he saw “captain cool” get emotional, which was following Super Kings’ return from a two-year ban in 2018 – a year when they won their third title.”He is really captain cool. But only once [he has not been]. We came back from banishment [in 2018]. Every year at the start of the season, I have a small interaction [with the team]. That year we had just come back. So, I welcomed the team I was slightly emotional. We had come back after two years and we had expectations of the year. The first time in my life I saw our captain also being emotional. It was a private function and I can’t exhibit it. But what he said is that we have to win.”The journey of the Chennai Super Kings is a journey of faith. It’s a journey of leadership. I don’t think anybody else could have managed the difficult periods that we went through as he has. He never showed it on the field whether we win or lose and that is the hallmark of a champion.”

Jonny Bairstow a bystander as Glamorgan seize control at Headingley

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-May-2023If you are going to send a message to your national selectors from the other side of the world, doing so when they are awake can be tough, particularly with 11am starts. Sometimes, though, a player nails their small window.By 12.28pm on Friday at Headingley, Michael Neser did just that with typical precision, completing a maiden hat-trick in first-class cricket. It was early enough to have decent cut-through back home in Australia. Early enough, even with the ten-hour difference, that perhaps an everyman like Australia chief selector George Bailey would have been aimlessly scrolling social media before bed when it dropped into the feeds. He might have still been taking it all in some 15 minutes later when Neser removed Jordan Thompson to claim career-best figures of 7 for 32.The Queensland seamer became only 11th Glamorgan cricketer to take a hat-trick, the ninth to do so in the County Championship and the first since Robert Croft in 2010. And the great thing for a player keen to make as much noise as possible right now is the racket such historical feats tend to make.Related

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Timing is everything, and few will appreciate that more than Neser, the 33-year-old alternate to a pace attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The misfortune of vying for a starting spot among three modern-great quicks manifested itself in a 17-man squad list for the World Test Championship and first two Ashes Tests that did not bear his name.A spell of this ilk with 2023’s Dukes at one of the Ashes venues won’t hurt, and the speed of the exploits was as vital for trending across hemispheres as the match itself. Yorkshire’s last five wickets fell for just 16 runs inside 21 deliveries, with Glamorgan closing day two with a lead of 196 and eight second innings wickets remaining. Even with just 29.3 overs of play on day two, progress has been swift.Dawid Malan was the first of the hat-trick, building into his work before Neser trapped him on the crease from around the wicket. George Hill’s leave was understandable given the original line of the delivery was fifth stump before seaming in to clip the very top of off. The best of the three deliveries confirmed the hat-trick: swinging in absurdly late, gathering pace off the pitch to strike off stump once more – this time hard enough to crack the middle-and-off bail.In real time, you wondered why Dom Bess offered no shot considering Hill’s dismissal the ball before. And yet watching the replay – over and over and over again – you can understand why. Even given the end result, you wouldn’t leave the house if you lived your life worrying about deliveries that far wide.”Pretty stiff ball to face straight up,” Neser said, sympathies with Bess. Having tried to move the ball away from the right-handers, Neser decided to go the other way and found more than he was bargaining for. “Fortunately enough it worked,” he said, in a typically subdued manner.He was more engaging on his Test snub, which Bailey explained isn’t a snub. Given Neser is not part of the first-choice attack, it made sense to keep him playing competitive red-ball cricket instead of travelling around as a glorified net bowler, as Neser was during the 2019 series. The experience of that tour makes this decision a little more palatable, though the annoyance of having to wait a little longer to add to his two Test caps still has not worn off. Frightening from an English perspective, considering his talents and this performance after a winter of 40 Sheffield Shield wickets at 16.67 during Queensland’s 2022-23 campaign.”It’s disappointing not to be part of that squad, but I’ve got to look at the positives,” Neser said. “I’m playing cricket here, and if I do get called up I’ll get ready to go. Having matches under my belt is far more important than bowling overs in the nets and not playing any games. From a squad point of view, it’s probably best I’m playing games and being ready to go if the opportunity arises.”I know personally I like to be playing constantly. Having matches under the belt is probably the most important thing. You can be bowling fit doing that in the nets, but it doesn’t emulate what you do in the game. I feel like I’m in a good place physically and mentally, so we’ll wait and see.”All of this is music to Glamorgan’s ears, particularly with Marnus Labuschagne leaving in two rounds’ time. Replacing his runs will be hard enough, and he is currently in the process of following up 65 out of 245 in the first innings with what the visitors hope will be another vital contribution in the second.Michael Neser has two Test caps to his name•Getty Images

Wickets, though, are the real premium, underlining Neser’s value. His record stands at 72 dismissals at an average of 21.65 midway through his 17th match for the county, and it is no coincidence Glamorgan have only lost two of the previous 16.Even with the weather, a Glamorgan victory – a first of the season – seems the likeliest result. However, the presence of Jonny Bairstow gives a lowly Yorkshire team a sense of danger. Bairstow watched the Neser-induced carnage from the other end, and you could sense a growing sense of responsibility. A shame, then that he brought about the end of the innings: an attempt at keeping strike for the next over led to the run-out of a hobbling Ben Coad. Yorkshire were 106 all out, Bairstow unbeaten – and unsatisfied – on 20.”He looked like he was in good nick, too,” Neser said of Bairstow, who is two days into a competitive return from nine months out. Having kept for 71.5 overs on day one, Bairstow originally tried to hold his batting exclusively for day two, burning through Mickey Edwards and Matty Fisher as nightwatchers before reluctantly batting out the final two overs of the day.An innings of 34 balls can only tell you so much, but his timing is up to speed. We probably knew that from the 97 and 57 struck against Nottinghamshire 2nd XI last week, but a tuck off his hip through square leg, and a straight drive inside mid-off were good signs. He and Malan ticked along nicely, suggesting something substantial from the international duo. But their partnership ended on 31, and such was the flurry of dismissals at the other end that by the time Bairstow regained any meaningful strike, boundary riders were in place. A swipe of Timm van der Gugten to midwicket felt like the start of a retaliation that was quickly shelved by Kiran Carlson’s work at cover, swooping and taking out two stumps with a direct hit.”We’ll see how we go in the second innings,” Neser said regarding Bairstow, though it was unsure if he meant Bairstow’s or Glamorgan’s. Perhaps both. After all, the part Bairstow played in last summer’s chases for England against New Zealand (twice) and India will have Neser and his team-mates on edge in the final innings. Not to mention that Leicestershire chased down a target of 389 on this ground a month ago.Smatterings of rains before the eventual day-closing downpour at 4.30pm were negotiated well by openers David Lloyd and Andrew Salter. The former skewed a thick outside edge to backward point before the latter felt stitched up by an lbw decision granted to Thompson.The absence of Coad, hurt on day one, dulls the incisiveness of this Yorkshire attack, meaning Glamorgan should dictate the final throes of this match even with another poor forecast for Saturday. Whether 2022 Bairstow or a spell such as Neser’s, they require something special to turn this around.

“I oversaw his work for two games. After that, I insisted that he take his own decisions and bear responsibility for them”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-20225:26

Vettori: ‘Probably comes down to Jadeja not enjoying the captaincy’

Back in his first game as Chennai Super Kings captain since giving up the role at the start of IPL 2022, MS Dhoni has suggested that the pressure of leading a side had taken a toll on Ravindra Jadeja, and that it had “burdened his prep and performances”.Speaking to the host broadcaster Star Sports after Super Kings clinched a 13-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhoni said that the plan had always been for Jadeja to take over as captain this season, and that while he had lent his support, he did not want to actively interfere with Jadeja’s decisions.Related

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“I think Jadeja knew last season that he would be captaining this year,” Dhoni said. “For the first two games, I simply oversaw his work and let him be later. After that, I insisted that he take his own decisions and bear responsibility for them.”Once you become captain, it means a lot of demands come in. But it affected his mind as the tasks grew. I think captaincy burdened his prep and performances.”So it was a gradual transition. Spoon-feeding doesn’t really help the captain, on the field you have to take those crucial decisions and you have to take responsibility for those decisions.”Once you become the captain, we have to take care of many things and that also includes your own game.”Dhoni hoped that with Jadeja freed from the pressures of captaincy, it would reignite the allrounder’s form, particularly on the field, where Super Kings have been sloppy, dropping several straightforward catches.”Even if you relieve the captaincy and if you are at your best and that’s what we want. We were also losing a great fielder, we are struggling for a deep midwicket fielder, still we have dropped 17-18 catches and that’s a matter of concern.”These are tough games and hopefully we will comeback strong, important to communicate with the bowlers.”Dhoni also credited his bowlers, particularly the spinners, for applying the brakes on Sunrisers during their chase of 203.”The phase that really worked for us was when the spinners were bowling after six overs. We have had quite a few good batting performances, but we have also given a couple of overs that went for 25-26 runs, and even when you score 200, it really comes down to 175-180 in 19 overs.”It’s important to try something different as a bowler. I always told my bowlers, you may get hit for four sixes in an over, but the two balls that you save – ultimately in a high-scoring game – those are the two deliveries that will help you win the game. Because a lot of bowlers, after getting hit for three or four sixes, they will be like let’s get it done with it, but that one boundary or even instead of sixes if you get hit for two fours, that will help you in a game. I don’t know if they believe in that theory, but it really works.”

She combined in a third-wicket stand of 135 with Meg Lanning before Megan Schutt claimed her 100th T20I wicket

Andrew McGlashan21-Jul-2022Four times Tahlia McGrath has batted in T20Is, and four times she has been player of the match. Her extraordinary start in the format, having only debuted last October, continued against Ireland in Bready as she and captain Meg Lanning combined to set up a convincing Australia victory.The pair added 135 for the third wicket, a record for Australia, as they overcame a slightly sluggish start against some tight Ireland bowling to pile up 182 which the home side did not come close to challenging.When McGrath was dismissed in the final over it gave her a T20I batting average for the first time – the small matter of 247. She had struck 11 boundaries in her 45-ball stay having arrived in the fifth over when Beth Mooney clubbed a loopy full toss to mid-on after the early dismissal of Alyssa Healy lbw playing across a straight delivery.Australia had been held to 39 for 2 from the powerplay but the eighth over marked a change of gear when Lanning twice picked up Arlene Kelly over the leg side for six. Seven out of the next eight overs went for double figures while overall Australia managed 100 from the second half of their innings.Lanning and McGrath matched each other: the captain’s fifty came from 31 balls with McGrath’s coming off 30 deliveries, having at one stage been 11 from 12 balls.”It was good fun batting with Meg,” McGrath said. If there was one shot I could steal off anyone, it’s that flick off the legs for six. It’s incredible. She was so calm at the crease, she makes things happen so it’s very nice batting with her.”Megan Schutt struck in the first over of the chase when Rebecca Stokell skewed to point and later in the innings would become the second Australian to 100 T20I wickets when she removed Mary Waldron.Jess Jonassen had success in her first over of the tour, getting Gaby Lewis caught at cover, after missing the opening two matches having tested positive for Covid before leaving Australia. Meanwhile, Alana King continued her wicket-taking form with another two scalps.However, Australia’s wide count was again high as they conceded 15 meaning their tally for the three matches is now 47 runs from wides.”I think we’re shaping up really well,” McGrath said. “There’s a little bit of fine tuning to go [like] tidy up our fielding a bit, a few too many extras, but we’re always striving to improve and we’re on the right track.”They have one more match left in the series, against Pakistan on Saturday, which will likely determine who finishes top of the table.

After a week of dramatic boardroom developments, Australia’s international season gets underway in Perth with the hosts desperate to find some ODI form

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan03-Nov-2018

Big Picture

The last time these two sides met…hang on, you don’t need reminding of that. In a quirk of scheduling, the opposition against whom Australia (albeit in a different format) suffered one of the most astonishing episodes witnessed are their first engagement on home soil since then. It’s been a long seven months and a lot has happened to Australian cricket, most of it bad.The past week has been dominated by the boardroom so, in many ways, it is a relief to now get to the on-field action. With a restructured season, this short visit by South Africa is the appetiser to the main course of India who arrive later this month. And, not just because it’s the start of trying to win back the public (if, in truth, they have been lost), it is an important tussle for Australia.They need to reinvent their one-day game which has been in a rut for close to two years now. In 2018 alone they have played 10 ODIs, all against England, and lost nine. Their last victory in a non-dead rubber ODI came against Pakistan in Sydney in January 2017. The World Cup is six months away and Australia look a long way from retaining their title.Leaving aside the enforced absence of Steven Smith and David Warner, Australia, under new captain Aaron Finch, have been able to pick what should be their strongest squad in the circumstances. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are fit while Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell should have the chance to give an insipid middle order a kick.South Africa were off the pace against the Prime Minister’s XI, but the itinerary hasn’t been the most helpful, arriving into Perth before a return cross-country trip to Canberra for the warm-up. Their batting is missing Hashim Amla and JP Duminy so is not at full strength, but they have a pace attack to rival Australia. Rarely can a one-day series have had six such quality fast bowlers on show.

Form guide

Australia LLLLL
South Africa WWWLLAaron Finch with his two one-day vice-captains, Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey•Getty Images

In the spotlight

It seems odd to say for the World Cup holders, but Australia’s one-day batting is out of tune to how the game has developed. Warner’s absence is a massive hole, but of the players available Glenn Maxwell is the one who should be providing the x-factor. There have been plenty of mixed messages for him of late, but if he can’t find a key role in this side something has gone wrong. He played decently against England on a trip where Justin Langer lauded his work ethic, but things still didn’t feel quite right.David Miller has gone down the white-ball only route having shelved his first-class career. Part of his thinking was with the 2019 World Cup in mind, so it’s pretty important that he doesn’t let that slip through his fingers. He was rested from the recent series against Zimbabwe as South Africa assessed other names, but an on-form Miller remains a destructive option. This year, though, hasn’t been his best with one half-century in nine matches against India and Sri Lanka so a good series here would help prevent any pre-World Cup unease. He looked in decent order against the PM’s XI before finding long-on.

Team news

Finch said he knew his XI but would not reveal it until the toss. Mitchell Starc is available having overcome the hamstring problem he picked up in the UAE, but there could still be a decision to make as whether to unleash him straightaway. The balance of the attack will also pose a question.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Chris Lynn, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodGiven the short lead-in time, the names who featured against the Prime Minister’s XI could all play although Andile Phehlukwayo may come in for Dwaine Pretorius. Faf du Plessis said they would take another look at the surface before deciding whether to consider two spinners. The tail looks a little long, but Dale Steyn’s recent batting form has been a boost.South Africa (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo/Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

The Perth Stadium is still in its infancy having only hosted one international so far – the ODI between Australia and England earlier this year. The pitch to be used for this game has been played on once before when England Lions faced Western Australia. The forecast is for a dry, sunny day.

Stats and Trivia

• Imran Tahir needs one wicket to reach 150 in ODIs
• Since their last win a live ODI, in late January 2017, only Nepal and Netherlands have won fewer matches than Australia
• Aaron Finch currently has three ODIs hundreds in the year, his best return is four in 2014.

Quotes

“If you start looking at the end result purely that’s when you can make some errors in judgement and fall down that way. It’s just important to keep it nice and positive and follow our processes as opposed to the full outcome.”
“Whenever you get a chance to play against Australia it feels like you’re playing against a very good cricket team.”

Who between Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi will make the occasion their own?

Osman Samiuddin23-Jun-2021

Big picture

Given how unlikely it looked at various stages over the last few months, just to be at this stage now, the final of the sixth season of the PSL between the Multan Sultans and the Peshawar Zalmi, is a bit of a triumph.Not only did a resumption of the season look a distant prospect in the days right after it was disrupted, even until the final few days before the resumption there were moments when it was off one minute, on the next. It could have moved to Dubai and Sharjah; there was prolonged confusion over when – and even which – players could get into Abu Dhabi; there was concern over arrivals on different dates from different countries impacting quarantine periods; at one stage, with the prospect of production crews not being allowed from India and South Africa, the whole thing could have been off.There wasn’t a definite start and end date until June 3 when the PCB released a schedule announcing June 9 as the start. Limited player-availability and the fact that this would be played in peak summer in what is, essentially, a hyper-developed desert seemed the least of it. As an exercise in logistics, only the organising of a Pakistani wedding could ever have given organisers headaches like this.So, in the short but already tumultuous history of the PSL, it matters less who wins on Thursday evening than that it is happening at all. Except, of course, this is not how sportsmen think. They don’t much care for the improbability of an occasion happening as much as making that occasion theirs.Related

• Wahab: 'All the pressure has been absorbed'

• Shahnawaz Dahani – the pace bowler with the smile

The Sultans have been the most successful team in this Abu Dhabi leg, winning five of six games. Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership has done nothing to dampen the curiosity of that minority which wonders whether he should be Pakistan captain; a rivalry-that-isn’t with Babar Azam enhanced by the two opening together for Pakistan and being one and two on the run charts this season.And though Rizwan hasn’t been as prolific in this leg as he was in Karachi, he’s been able to fall back on the unlikely resurgence of Sohaib Maqsood, now available in fetching power-hitting colours. Maqsood is third top-scorer this season, but more (ahem!) striking is the strike rate of 152.52, behind only Colin Munro among the top-ten run-scorers.Otherwise, in the field, and everywhere, has been Shahnawaz Dahani, currently the most vibing cricketer on earth. His primary superpower is enough good vibes to end all hate, but handily he’s a quick learner who bowls mean, hard lengths at 140kph-plus.By contrast, the Zalmi are not as well-oiled – no coding system for bowlers here – and their form in Abu Dhabi has wavered more. No one man stands out for them either, though honourable mentions for Sherfane Rutherford and the endurance of Shoaib Malik. The latter is now in his fourth decade of top-level cricket and, given circumstances and history, only a fool would rule out an umpteenth Pakistan comeback.Hazratullah Zazai has turbo-boosted their starts by such a magnitude that they have managed to bring Imam-ul-Haq into the XI instead of Haider Ali. Ordinarily, that would go against T20 thinking, yet here somehow it hasn’t mattered. Neither has it that Mohammad Irfan is now 39. He is ageing, but it’s not like he’s getting shorter so all those challenges for a batter remain.The unmistakable sense is that the whole has worked better than its parts which, if you think about it, is entirely appropriate for a side led by Wahab Riaz. The totality of Riaz, the athleticism, the hitting, the pace, the effort, has always been worth more than any individual attribute. He’s still taking wickets (only Dahani has more this season), still pulling off the occasional stunning catch, and still swinging his bat every bit as hard as a strike rate of 188.57 suggests. For all the new stars the PSL has come to be identified with over six seasons, it is still Riaz who represents something of the beating heart of it.

Form guide

Peshawar Zalmi: W W L W LMultan Sultans: W L W W WMohammad Irfan should be back to full fitness for the final•Pakistan Super League

In the spotlight

As unlikely as Maqsood but lesser noted has been Imran Khan’s impact for the Sultans. He’s rarely been thought of as a bowler for the format – he’d only played one game in the PSL before this season. But, in very Umar Gul ways, he’s become their joint-second highest wicket-taker.How’s this for impact? Jonathan Wells came out of quarantine on June 20, he had a special net session on Tuesday and then turned up for his first game for the Zalmi in the evening. He was overshadowed by Zazai but his unbeaten 55 was every bit as crucial in calming nerves in the chase.

Pitch and conditions

A wild guess: it will be hot.Abu Dhabi’s pitches, on the other hand, have not been so predictable and a bit of everything has been on display during the last fortnight. Some new-ball swing, turn, reverse, 200+ totals, sub-100 totals; unlike the Karachi leg it isn’t so easy to win the toss and chase.

Team news

Mohammad Irfan, whose leg injury sparked a bit of controversy in the win over the Islamabad United, is better and likely to play.Peshawar Zalmi: Hazratullah Zazai, Kamran Akmal (wk), Jonathan Wells, Shoaib Malik, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Amad Butt, Wahab Riaz (capt), Umaid Asif, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Imran.Multan Sultans: Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Rilee Roussouw, Johnson Charles, Khushdil Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Imran Tahir, Blessing Muzarabani, Imran Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani.

Quotes

“We have played so well and we have played as a team. The best thing from the first leg was that throughout we never blamed anyone for a mistake. This is a team where every individual has a very important role, in the XI or the ones sitting outside. Our morale and momentum is high.”“We looked like a team that would be eliminated, but we really stuck together. People will single certain people out but I’d like to praise the guys as a group. We didn’t quite play as badly in Karachi, and lost a few tight games, but we have executed our plans perfectly here.”