The centurion said scoring a blistering 133 gave her a “relief” after her 37-ball 19 in the second ODI of the series, which Australia sweeped 3-0 and saw as “revenge” after the World Cup semi-final loss last year

Annesha Ghosh in Vadodara19-Mar-2018The past three months have brought two firsts for Alyssa Healy, each of which have had an air of deferred inevitability about them: a maiden Women’s Big Bash League ton in January, followed by her first international century. If the WBBL ton – a 66-ball 106 against the Adelaide Strikers – in her 41st appearance in the league was a statement of intent, her 115-ball 133 against India in the third ODI took shape of a roller-coaster ride and ended up imparting a long-awaited degree of validation to her 136-match international career.”Yeah, it was a big feeling of relief, I guess,” Healy said after Austalia’s win on Sunday. “Played a lot of cricket to not have one (century). Pretty excited to sit here with finally a hundred under my belt. And hopefully get a couple more before I pull up stumps. It’s obviously been a long six months for us. I feel lucky I have been hitting the ball well.”It was probably just about adjusting to the conditions a little bit better and the spinners. So, yeah, obviously got off to the flier in the first game and got myself out. [I] did a lot of work to spin in the last few days. To come out today, and play positively was something I’m pretty proud of and hopefully I can take that into the tri-series.”Even though she started off in a scratchy manner, scoring only 13 off her first 22 deliveries, Healy got her eye in and shot her strike rate over 100 by smashing 14 runs off frontline quick Shikha Pandey in the eighth over and went on to score 43 off 34 against her overall, evading two dropped catches on 23 and 125.”I guess the pace was comfortable to me,” Healy said about the fluency she found against Pandey. “I enjoy facing spin, but with pace coming on, I feel quite comfortable with that. It was about attacking that end. I got some balls that I thought I’d like to hit and gave it a good whack. So obviously that pace change-up got us going.”After clobbering two fours and a six in Pandey’s fourth over, Healy left the medium-pacer’s line and India captain Mithali Raj’s field placements in disarray as she cracked four fours off five deliveries off Pandey’s eighth over. First up, she backed away and slashed at a wide one that flew over Harmanpreet at mid-off. With five fielders patrolling the off-side inner ring, Healy then followed it up with a square drive off an offcutter, and slapped the next one through the cover-point region.One ball later, Raj would push the cover fielder back, only to invite Healy to loft over mid-off again for a fourth four. The sixth delivery, a back-of-a-length offcutter, had Deepti Sharma back pedal from extra cover to chase a skier, but gave Healy her third life of the innings and another two runs to her tally.”You need a bit of luck to make runs in cricket,” Healy said of her three chances, including a drop by Mona Meshram at deep square leg in the 20th over. “You can’t go through your career, hitting the ball along the ground and being safe.”For me, it was probably just the luck I needed. I’ve been hitting the ball all summer, so yeah, to come out here and get a bit of luck in this series is really handy. Obviously, it helped me get there today, but unfortunately, Mona Meshram didn’t have such a great game, but I’m sure she’ll bounce back no doubt. She fielded really well, the ground fielding. So hopefully she comes back out in the T20Is”.Alyssa Healy winds up for a big hit•Getty Images

Despite losing opening partner Nicole Bolton in the sixth over and Meg Lanning in the 11th, Healy sustained herself for 40.2 overs without tweaking much of her approach. It is a method, she said, that is rooted in her role, which “isn’t too different” from what her game is best suited to.”Naturally, I will take the game on. For me, it’s about choosing the right time to do that and obviously we lost the couple of wickets early but we’ve got such a great batting line-up that we know we don’t want to take a backward step when that happens. So it’s important that we keep going and keep pushing and keep manipulating the field movement. Yeah, fortunately it came off today. You build big totals by continuing with that momentum and I think we did that well today.”Dwelling upon Australia’s much-vocal intent of posting totals in excess of 300, Healy said it was an aspect much of their pre-tour discussions had been centred on.”It’s a goal for us to consistently hit that mark,” she said. “We did that quite comfortably in the end today. We have got so much power right down our batting order, which is really exciting. For us at the top order, it’s just about setting up the game and then let them do their thing at the bottom. The 3-0 result is something we have spoken about a lot, so yeah, really pleased.”While stating that a deep batting order helped her stay true to her attacking approach, she also said it aided her in turning things around after a vapid performance, as was witnessed in her 37-ball 19 in the second ODI.”Naturally, I’m a fairly aggressive cricketer. For me it’s about playing that way, having that intent all the time. When I dig myself into a hole like I did in the last game, it’s about getting out of that smartly. I’m always probably going to play more aggressively than others but yeah you’re right in saying that we’ve got such a powerful line-up that I could push a bit at the top.”Looking back on the 3-0 scoreline, Healy, with her trademark candour, acknowledged that exacting “revenge” for the knockout defeat in the World Cup semi-final was on top of the visitors’ agenda coming into the series.”Yeah, look, there’s a little bit of revenge there,” she said, “I won’t lie. To come out and beat them 3-0 is really special. They’ve got a really exciting, talented group of players and they showed that at the World Cup. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get over the line in the end, but they pulled our pants down in the semi-final. So for us to come out and play the way we did, play aggressively, put it back on them, I think the group is proud of that.”

Joe Root may not be having as a bad a time as Steven Smith, but things aren’t very rosy for the England captain

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland26-Mar-2018Twelve Tests overseas without a win – equalling their worst run.Five of their last seven defeats have been by an innings.They have taken 20 wickets once in their last 11 away Tests.Slumping to 27 for 9 before registering their sixth-lowest Test total.You could say, at least they haven’t been caught cheating. But England’s travel sickness makes for grim reading. They say things have to get worse before they get better, well England pushed that to the limit with the 58 all out at Eden Park even if their second innings effort restored some respectability. It’s a long way back with such a record.England have one Test left to try and rescue something. There is a limit to what can be done with a touring squad of 16 and there are those that will say kneejerk reactions don’t solve anything. Sometimes, though, you can only continue on one path for so long. Joe Root, himself, said as much before the first Test.Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood and Jack Leach should all come into contention for Christchurch.”I think there’s a lot of emotion knocking around now, and it’s still very raw,” Root said when asked of team changes. “I think it’s very important that we have some rational thinking behind that, and we sit down and make sure we go into that Test match with the XI we think is going to win the game.”Much will depend on the fitness of Ben Stokes. He had problems with his back towards the end of his four-and-a-half hour stay in the middle at Eden Park, which ended when he carved to point in the final over before dinner. He will be assessed over the next couple of days, but it would seem highly unlikely he will be able to bowl in this series.England tried to compensate in Auckland by picking an extra bowler – Craig Overton – but outside of James Anderson the attack again looked toothless, even allowing for the fact they didn’t have any runs to work with. Wood surely has to play to at least try to inject some extra pace, while Moeen Ali is a shadow of the Test cricketer who lit up the previous English season.”It’s not for lack of trying,” Root said. “We’ve got to make sure we continue that work ethic and continue to look to improve. The first opportunity to do that is this next Test. We’re going to have to make sure that, when we get that opportunity, someone stands up – or a couple of guys do – and take it on themselves to put in those match-winning performances, which we do quite frequently in our own conditions.”There were glimmers to take from the second innings in Auckland, led by Stokes’ resistance at No. 5 which could yet become his long-term position, but only that. Three half-centuries by the top-order went unconverted – including by the captain again – while three batsman fell in the final overs of session. The draw – albeit a lucky one that it would have been – was close enough to show how costly those lapses were.”I asked the guys at the start, before we warmed up, ‘Show everyone how much it means to you to play for England, and represent your country’,” Root said.”I thought we got that today from the guys. It’s obviously a massive task, coming back from the start we had in that first innings – which was bitterly disappointing.”We were always fighting our way back into the game. But the character the guys showed today, I think, was a step forward – and we simply need to be better when we get to Christchurch.”Root was naturally asked about the situation with the Australians. “I personally have got plenty on my plate to worry about,” he said in midst of one of his answers. Of that there’s no doubt.

The attack occurred around 11pm local time on Friday, as spectators had gathered at the stadium to watch the Ramadan Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2018A series of explosions targeting a cricket match in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, has killed eight people and injured 45 on Friday, according to an AFP report.The attack occurred around 11pm local time on Friday, as spectators had gathered at the stadium to watch the Ramadan Cup, the provincial governor’s office said.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but the Taliban said it was not responsible.Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack. “The terrorists did not stop killing our people even during the holy month of Ramadan,” a statement from the president’s office said. “By carrying out a terrorist attack in a populated sport stadium, once again they have proved that they are not bound to any creed or religion, and they are the enemy of humanity.”Cricket matches in Afghanistan have been targeted previously as well. In September 2017, an Islamic State attack on a cricket match in Kabul left three dead.The profile of cricket in Afghanistan has increased substantially over the last few years, with their national team playing four World T20s and the 2015 World Cup. They are now set to play their first Test match, against India in June, after receiving Full Member status from the ICC last year.

Lancashire completed a supremely comfortable nine-wicket victory over struggling Leicestershire to rekindle their hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages

ECB Reporters Network31-May-2018
ScorecardLancashire completed a supremely comfortable nine wicket victory over struggling Leicestershire to rekindle their hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Royal London Cup.Fine bowling from young leg-spinner Matt Parkinson, who picked up 4 for 31 from his ten overs, following early breakthroughs by seamers Joe Mennie and Graham Onions, restricted the Foxes to a total that was desperately below par on a good pitch at Oakham School.Lancashire captain Liam Livingstone then smashed seven sixes in racing to 90 off just 56 balls, with Haseeb Hameed hitting a half-century in an unbroken partnership of 133 as the visitors cruised to victory in just 25.5 overs.Bowling first after winning the toss proved a wise decision by Livingstone on a cloudy morning in Rutland, the smallest county in England. There was something in the pitch for the seamers, as Joe Mennie producied an almost unplayable delivery to Cameron Delport which pitched on leg stump and moved away to hit off.Paul Horton, a former Lancashire captain, did not last much longer, Graham Onions finding the outside edge and Livingstone himself taking the catch at second slip.Ned Eckersley and Mark Cosgrove began to rebuild the innings, but their third wicket partnership had reached only 42 when Eckersley attempted to reverse sweep the left-arm spin of Stephen Parry, and top-edged high to Alex Davies coming in off the boundary at backward point.Colin Ackermann struggled from the start against the leg-spin of Parkinson and was quickly bowled by a googly he completely failed to pick, but it was hard to understand what was going through Neil Dexter’s mind when, before getting off the mark, the experienced all-rounder tried to loft Parkinson over mid-off and failed to clear Josh Bohannon.Cosgrove was Leicestershire’s only real hope of positing a competitive score, but the Australian had only just passed 50 when he played and missed at Parkinson, dragged his rear foot and Dane Vilas completed a smart stumping.Tom Wells lofted Parkinson high to Parry at long-on, Javid steered Parry tamely to Livingstone at wide extra cover, and Dieter Klein was palpably leg before to Graham Onions as the Foxes failed to even bat out their 50 overs.Davies and Hameed gave Lancashire a solid start to their reply, and though Davies top-edged a pull at Klein to be caught behind, Livingstone ensured the chase would end very quickly.

The South Africa captain backs both quicks to deliver with the reverse-swinging old ball in Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle11-Jul-2018To get your mind around exactly how ridiculous South Africa’s pace gifts are at present, consider this: Dale Steyn, almost certainly the greatest fast bowler of his generation, has the worst average among the frontline quicks in his squad. His 419 wickets have come at 22.32; Vernon Philander averages 21.46, Kagiso Rabada, 21.59, and Lungi Ngidi, 16.42. What makes the presence of these riches more incredible, is that Morne Morkel, one of South Africa’s best ever, retired in their previous series.Now, some of these stats are skewed. Ngidi has only played three Tests, all at home, and his record will probably worsen. Philander’s numbers are substantially skewed by a phenomenal home average of 18.27 – his average in Sri Lanka, from two 2014 Tests, is 76.But while Rabada also has modest figures in Asia, his only previous experience on the continent being his three Tests in India, there is a feeling in the South Africa camp that he is a much improved bowler now. If it is true that Steyn is not at his best following a series of frustrating injuries (coach Ottis Gibson described his bowling as “rusty” following the two-day practice match), here is the bowler that will assume the role of attack leader, South Africa believe. There is pressure on spinner Keshav Maharaj to shine on his first series in this part of the world, but captain Faf du Plessis still has plenty of faith in reverse swing, and in Rabada’s ability to extract it.”Dale has been the spearhead, but I think KG (Rabada) will take over that mantle. He’s got the skill, he’s got the pace and he’s got the control to do well in all conditions around the world,” du Plessis said on the eve of the first Test. “I have seen growth in him since the India tour. I think that’s what’s remarkable about KG, is how quickly he learns. That was his first subcontinent tour and I believe he’ll learn from that – the way he’s improved his control.”With his skills, he’s got the ability now to swing the ball both ways with a reverse-swinging ball, which is a skill that not a lot of bowlers have. And once again, pace against any subcontinent team is something you want try and expose. We’ll have to see to what extent the wicket allows for that. It’s good to see him bowling quick again after his recent injury. He looks hungry to perform in the series.”Not that Steyn is expected to fade away. When South Africa were last in Galle, he had claimed 9 for 99, using reverse swing to devastating effect in both innings, to propel his team to victory. This time around, Steyn’s pace may not be what it was four years ago, but his skill – particularly with the old ball – remain undiminished, du Plessis said. In fact, in a three-man pace attack, it is for those later overs that Steyn may be reserved.”Dale’s X-factor is how he picks up wickets with a reverse-swinging ball. His way of getting wickets with the new ball is getting it to move around a little bit with swing, and a little bit of seam, really consistently. But there’s a period of the game when Dale gets his tail up. He gets one wicket, and is up there with the most dangerous bowlers in the world, because he is so skillful, and he can get the ball to reverse swing at pace. I’m hoping to see Dale bowl really quick again. He hasn’t bowled for a long time, so he’ll be excited to get the opportunity. It’s a good sight to see when he gets the ball reversing, and he’s running in and keeping those legs really really fast.”In almost any other side in the world, a bowler of Ngidi’s potential would command a place in every Test, but signs are, he may have to miss out in Galle. While Steyn, Rabada and perhaps Maharaj are aggressively looking for wickets, du Plessis suggested that it is Philander who will be relied on to provide control from the other end.”With Vern, his control is exceptional,” du Plessis sad. “He won’t offer you much as a batter. Even if there’s not much grass and seam movement, Vern is still a guy that will hold a game for you. And then from the other side, from a captaincy point of view, you can bring a guy and try and get wickets.”

Theunis de Bruyn scored his first Test century, in his sixth match, to make Sri Lanka work for their series win

The Report by Firdose Moonda23-Jul-2018Associated Press

Theunis de Bruyn scored his first Test century, in his sixth match, to make Sri Lanka work for their series win. But he could not prevent the inevitable. The hosts wrapped up victory 40 minutes after lunch on the fourth day, to seal the series 2-0.Sri Lanka’s spinners took all 20 wickets in the match, and 37 of South Africa’s 40 wickets in the series. Dilruwan Perera finished as the joint leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps, level with Keshav Maharaj, South Africa’s other standout performer from the second Test. Rangana Herath, playing in his penultimate series most likely, took 12 wickets across the two matches, including a second-innings six-for in Colombo, his 12th five-wicket haul in the fourth innings of a match.Herath accounted for both South Africa’s main resistors on the fourth day – de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma. The pair shared South Africa’s first century stand of the series, and became the only two players in their line-up to bring up fifties on the tour. Their 123-run stand is the highest by a South African pair in the fourth innings of a match in Asia. It took the Test into an 11th session, but South Africa still lost inside four days.On the evidence of South Africa’s previous three innings, Sri Lanka would have been justified in thinking they would take the remaining five wickets quickly on the fourth morning, but they were made to wait until 10 minutes before lunch for a breakthrough. De Bruyn and Bavuma were confident on the sweep shot and forced Sri Lanka to look further than their three main spinners, with Suranga Lakmal having his first bowl of the match in the 55th over, and Dhananjaya de Silva and Danushka Gunathilaka both turning their arms over.De Bruyn showed, for the first time at international level, why he is much lauded in the domestic franchise game and may have made a strong case to be persisted with at No. 3 with a display of strong temperament and impressive strokeplay. Bavuma, who is often criticised for his slow scoring rate, took a much more positive approach and scored his 63 runs in 98 balls, a strike rate of almost 65.Their morning was not without its nerves. Dilruwan reviewed for a catch at short leg when Bavuma was on 20 but Ultra Edge showed there was no contact between bat and ball, as the delivery turned down leg and Sri Lanka lost their first review. De Bruyn almost sent a Herath delivery into the hands of Angelo Mathews at slip but the next ball he faced, he punched through the covers to bring up his maiden Test fifty, in 118 balls.Both batsmen grew in confidence as the session went on, despite the number of times Sri Lanka’s bowlers seemed to have the better of them. Herath beat Bavuma on the front foot often but the batsman bisected square leg and fine leg to send a Herath delivery to the boundary; Herath also drew a leading edge from de Bruyn that fell safe but de Bruyn established authority with shots like the pull off Lakmal to square leg. Bavuma’s half-century came off 69 balls, and he may have been eyeing a long-overdue second Test hundred but, with lunch looming, pushed forward to a Herath delivery and was caught behind.Quinton de Kock opened his account with a reverse-sweep, which suggested his time in the middle could be fun, but it ended on the stroke of lunch. De Kock was given out lbw to a Herath delivery and the batsman reviewed. Replays showed “umpires call” on leg stump to end a disappointing tour for de Kock, who scored 53 runs in four innings.De Bruyn may have been concerned about running out of partners as his hundred approached but Kagiso Rabada negotiated the second new ball well to stay with him for an eighth-wicket stand of 34. Rabada even showed off his own prowess, with a thunderous six over Herath’s head. De Bruyn brought up his century off 228 balls with a paddle to fine leg and was dismised four balls later, leaving an arm ball, to give Herath his fifth.Three balls later, Rabada edged Dilruwan to first slip and in the next over, Steyn smacked Herath for six and then tried to slog him over the top but only got the toe end of his bat and was caught at long-on. Herath’s six-for was not enough to earn him the Man-of-the-Match award, which went to Dimuth Karunaratne, who was also named Man of the Series. Karunaratne scored 356 runs in the series, more than double his nearest competitor, opening partner Gunathilaka, who racked up 161. South Africa’s top-scorer was fourth on the list – Faf du Plessis with 105 runs.

After failing to “cross the line” in the series opener, the India captain said greater application in the first 30 balls could turn the tide for India’s frontline batsmen

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's08-Aug-20181:16

‘Tempting thought to play two spinners’ – Kohli

How do India cross the line? How do they emerge victorious?Virat Kohli’s India have come close to crossing line in overseas Tests twice in a matter of eight months. In the first Test of the South Africa tour, set 208 to win, India lost by 72 runs in Cape Town. Last Saturday, at Edgbaston, needing 194 to take a 1-0 lead, India fell short by 31 runs.At Edgbaston, Kohli was the only Indian batsman to succeed, the only batsman on either team to score a century, followed by a fifty in the second innings. Despite those honours, it must have hurt him to still end on the losing side. Kohli admits it did – not because his batsmen failed, but because India lost.”It is unfortunate that we haven’t been able to cross the line after being so close,” Kohli said ahead of second Test. “That is the only thing we are looking at as a side: how we cross the line. It doesn’t matter whether I get runs or Jinks [Ajinkya Rahane] does or [M] Vijay does or KL [Rahul] does or whoever in the batting order. As long as we cross the line, that is the only thing that matters.”None of those batsmen Kohli named nor Shikhar Dhawan, who are the frontline batsmen in the line-up, managed to survive long enough in either innings to make a difference. In both innings, Kohli played the anchor as well as the shepherd to the lower order to impart a semblance of respect to the Indian batting.Still, Kohli pointed out it would be unfair to judge his fellow batsmen for their failure so quickly. Asked if the batsmen failed to show mental discipline or the heart to fight or lacked anything on the technical front, Kohli said there was no such “pattern”.Kohli, however, admitted that the Indian batsmen ought to be mentally stronger, especially facing the first 30-odd deliveries. That, he said, would be key to starting and building an innings.”It is not so much about the technical, but more about the mental aspect,” he explained. “How you think about the situations, about the first 20, 25, 30 balls, after the fall of a wicket, matters a lot. You must have a clear plan about what to do in those 30 balls, and, more often than not, that plan should not involve aggression. We need to focus on composure, which as a batting unit we have discussed.”The fact that Kohli touched upon aggression was revealing. Batsmen like Dhawan and Rahul played with hard hands and away from the body, attempting to score early on in their innings, which proved fatal. Without pointing fingers, Kohli presented his own example from the past when he would get distracted with stray thoughts while preparing to play the ball instead of playing it on merit.But now, Kohli said, he backed his ability to extend his stay at the crease. “It is just about going out and being positive about every situation that you are in and not thinking too much about what is going to happen. It is about looking at the ball and reacting according to the ball. Sometimes, as a batsman, where I have faltered in the past is I have thought maybe I will get a good ball somewhere and lose sight of what I need to do at that particular time.”That is something that has pulled me back. But now I am in a zone where I have to respect a good ball and just back my ability and play for as long as I can. It is not that you can’t get out in sport and in cricket. You just have to try and delay that eventuality as much as possible which as batsman we all try and achieve.”

Earlier in the season the wicketkeeper announced he would retire at the end of the summer and this has been unexpected chance after a 300-mile dash

David Hopps30-Aug-2018
ScorecardThere may be no more heartwarming story this county season than this one involving Andrew Hodd – the player who imagined he might never play for Yorkshire again, but who found himself dashing 300 miles to answer an emergency call to arms and responded with one of the finest innings of his life.For the story to end perfectly – and only the most uncompromising Somerset supporter would chide at the thought – Hodd would make another 16 runs when this match resumes at Headingley on the third morning, enough to bring him a fifth first-class century in a 16-year career. Nothing is certain: for one thing, Yorkshire’s tail, with seven down for 292, still 107 behind, might not necessarily stick around for the celebration.Whatever his fate, the man who styled himself a “soft southerner” when he joined Yorkshire from Sussex, and who rediscovered his zest for the game under the coaching of Jason Gillespie has already enjoyed what might turn out to be a delightful last moment in the sun, an innings to relish, a confident, unbeaten 84 when his stroke was sure and his mind looked uncluttered. Impending retirement can sometimes relieve the pressure and make the game feel easy.

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His sixth-wicket stand of 173 in 47 overs with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, whose 81 was his highest Yorkshire score (his stories are in the future), led Yorkshire from the perils of 119 for 5, the follow-on looming against a Somerset side who were extending their domination on the opening day. It would have been lovely to find out what Hodd made of it all. But Yorkshire, facing the threat of relegation, had no truck with romance and didn’t let him talk about it, presumably on the grounds his nnings was incomplete, Kohler-Cadmore offering up some routine platitudes instead. “Tough” decisions are not always the ones that county cricket’s put-upon followers deserve.Sometimes making the break from a playing career can be a tortuous one. Ryan Sidebottom, Hodd’s former Yorkshire team-mate, has become the latest player to reflect this week on the depression that can ensue after retirement, talking on BBC Radio how self-esteem can be lost and how the player can feel they are letting everyone down. “It’s a very difficult time,” he said.Hodd’s mid-season decision to call time on his Yorkshire career was by all accounts an emotional one. It is a fortunate player who approaches retirement with a certainty that the time is right. The games are about to end, the camaraderie will never quite be the same and, however much planning is made for the future, it can be a jolt. It is well worth a few tears.But this was so much better than how he imagined it might end. His last Championship match was at Taunton in late April, a first-baller in the first innings, a single in the second. Then the Royal London Cup intervened, and Jonny Tattersall, encouraged to take up wicketkeeping by Yorkshire’s coach, Andrew Gale, held his place when the Championship resumed. Even his selection for the Seconds has been a rarity as Yorkshire look to the future.How joyous it was therefore for Hodd to have at least one final match in the limelight – it is best to say “at least” because after playing like this he will not be easy to replace even if Tattersall recovers from his back spasm – and for him to take the opportunity with such relish.One suspects that Hodd will make the transition into retirement more easily than most. He is a qualified electrician and a dab hand at most forms of DIY – he once broke off from plastering a wall at home in Halifax to answer a Yorkshire SOS. His nickname of the HoddFather would be more appropriate as the Hodd Carrier: certainly on this occasion, with Yorkshire’s foundations crumbling, he had become a repairer in times of need.Yorkshire rounded up Somerset’s tail within eight overs on the second morning, but there was enough life in the surface for the follow-on figure of 250 to seem a 50:50 call. Adam Lyth’s disciplined 45 set them on their way, but he saw Harry Brook bowled off his pad by Lewis Gregory 13 balls into the innings and then Kane Williamson loop a simple catch to gully off Craig Overton.Yorkshire then lost three wickets for eight runs to slip to 119 for 5. Lyth was superbly caught at second slip by the Grand Old Man, Marcus Trescothick; Gary Ballance was in good order until, on 37, he was picked off in front of square – seemingly a deliberate plan – by Craig Overton; and Jack Leaning chipped back a return catch off a leading edge.The day then fell to Hodd and Kohler-Cadmore. Both men, with naturally attacking styles, played fluently on both sides of the wicket. Kohler-Cadmore welcomed Jack Leach’s left-arm spin with a six into the unfinished stand (one suspects Leach will be back for much more as the match progresses) and as Hodd suggested that his absence had been a restorative one, only Craig Overton limited his ambition. Just as Lewis Gregory and Steve Davies, had run unfettered in the final session on the opening day, so Hodd and Kohler-Cadmore did on the second before two late wickets for Josh Davey roused Somerset spirits.

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.

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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.”

The banned Australia batsman came up against his former captain Steven Smith in a club match in Sydney

Andrew McGlashan in Sydney10-Nov-2018David Warner has not contemplated the prospect of his year-long ban from international cricket for ball-tampering being reduced, as he continues his time in grade cricket, which he said had brought him “perspective” after living in a “bubble”.Warner took the field alongside Steven Smith for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands in March, as their respective grade teams Randwick Petersham and Sutherland, faced off in a 50-over match at Coogee Oval in Sydney.The pair chatted regularly during the game and shared what appeared as a warm handshake after the match. Warner insisted that talk of the pair having fallen out over what happened, and claims that he had thrown Smith under a bus by not accepting enough blame, was “comedy.”The last couple of weeks have brought more significant changes in Australian cricket in the wake of events in South Africa following the cultural reviews. The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) has made a submission to Cricket Australia that the bans handed to Warner, Smith and Cameron Bancroft should be rescinded in light of the findings, which painted the entire Australian cricket set-up in a dim light.”I’m sitting here with 12 months on the sidelines, that’s the way I look at it,” Warner said as he spoke for the first time in Australia since his emotional press conference on returning from South Africa. “That’s why I want everyone to keep being positive about the guys who are playing [for Australia]. We can’t just sit here and keep saying ‘are they are going to be in or not’.”There’s going to be some negative impact with what happened, but we have to put our best foot forward to make sure Australians are enjoying cricket. We put our hands up, we were ashamed of what happened, but we are here to try and promote cricket. We are trying to get Australians back loving it.”Warner’s time in grade cricket has not been without controversy, however, when he made headlines for briefly walking off the pitch during a match against Western Suburbs, having taken offence to a sledge from Jason Hughes, the brother of Phillip. He later resumed his innings, going on to make a hundred, but it put Warner firmly back in the spotlight.Of the experience of dropping down to a lower level, Warner said it had been a reality check playing alongside people with weekday jobs who have to fit their twice-weekly training around earning a living and then commit their weekends to playing.”You pinch yourself a little when you walk in the changing room and the guys are talking about the working week,” Warner said. “It puts it in perspective, we have been living in a bubble for a long time.”Of what there is little doubt is that plenty of people still want to watch Warner and Smith, who both spent considerable timing mingling with fans. The match drew a crowd well in excess of 2000 by the time Smith emerged to bat in the run chase, with every possible vantage point taken around the picturesque ground. Multiple trips were required to the local supermarket to replenish the barbecue while the bar needed plenty of extra crates – a large number donated by Warner.Neither player managed to cut loose with the bat: Warner was caught at backward point for 13 and Smith was stumped for 48, having struggled to find his timing. But the crowd was treated to some thunderous hitting from Shane Watson, a century by Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond and a match-winning hand from Austin Waugh, the son of Steve. Waugh had earlier been the man to dismiss Warner, as Smith’s Sutherland team came out the winners with two balls remaining.When they are back together for Australia still remains to be seen.