Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Brad Evans were ruled out of the series with injury

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2023Zimbabwe have named a new-look squad for the three upcoming ODIs against Ireland, calling up seven players who weren’t part of the team that took part in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in June and July, during their previous ODI series.Of the seven – Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Tanaka Chivanga, Faraz Akram, Brandon Mavuta, Milton Shumba and Tony Munyonga – only Akram is uncapped in ODIs.Captain Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Brad Evans were ruled out of the series with injury, while Tendai Chatara, Wessly Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani were not selected. Zimbabwe will be led by Sikandar Raza in Ervine’s absence. The three ODIs are scheduled for December 13, 15 and 17 at the Harare Sports Club.Zimbabwe had failed to finish in the top two in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, and as a result did not make it to the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, and will also miss out on the 2025 Champions Trophy.They also failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, and are coming off a 2-1 T20I series defeat to Ireland.Zimbabwe squad for Ireland ODIs: Sikandar Raza (capt), Faraz Akram, Ryan Burl, Tanaka Chivanga, Joylord Gumbie, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava and Milton Shumba

Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers return for the three T20Is while the ODI squad includes some new and recalled players

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2024Shimron Hetmyer has been left out of both the ODI and a full-strength West Indies T20I squad for their series against Australia next month after he was dropped against England late last year. Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers have been included for the T20Is after they had made themselves unavailable for the Test tour to take up T20 franchise contracts.Holder and Mayers are not part of the ODI squad for the three matches which precede the T20Is while batters Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford have been allowed to play franchise cricket before returning for the T20Is.Related

• Jason Holder: Test career is 'by no means' over after Australia tour opt-out

• Meet West Indies' new names: the seven uncapped players in Australia

• Warner expected to play West Indies T20Is for Australia over ILT20

The ODI group captained by Shai Hope contains two potential debutants, Grenadian top-order batter Teddy Bishop and Guyanese wicketkeeper-batter Tevin Imlach, who is also part of the Test squad. Allrounders Justin Greaves and Kavem Hodge are recalled as is legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr.Hetmyer, who averages 32.23 in ODIs with a strike-rate of 104.55, struggled for form against England with scores of 1 and 2 in the first two T20Is which followed 32, 0 and 12 in the three ODIs.”On the back of a series win against England, we are expecting our ODI team to be very competitive in Australia,” lead selector Desmond Haynes said. “We have some new inclusions, who have impressed over a significant period and a couple of returning players, who we think will have an impact.”For the T20I series, this forms part of our crucial preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup where we are hosts. We are hoping to build on strong overall performances against India and England and to keep improving as we approach the major tournament.”The three ODIs take place in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra on February 2, 4 and 6 followed by the T20Is in Hobart, Adelaide and Perth on February 9, 11 and 13.Steven Smith will captain Australia in the ODIs while the home side have yet to name their T20I squad but it is expected to include David Warner.

West Indies ODI squad vs Australia

Shai Hope (capt), Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

West Indies T20I squad vs Australia

Rovman Powell (capt), Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas

Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha maintained good areas, which the Bangladesh quicks didn’t after their initial success

Mohammad Isam23-Mar-2024The Sylhet pitch is refreshingly different when it comes to Bangladesh, where fast bowlers have had a great time so far with the top layer of live grass on the surface, a rarity in the country. The true nature of the pitch also allows the batters to free their arms whenever a bowler strays in length.Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers, therefore, kept things as tight as possible on their way to all ten of Bangladesh’s wickets in their first innings of the first Test across Friday and Saturday. This was the first time Sri Lanka’s quicks have achieved the feat since Johannesburg 2021.Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha showed exactly where the Bangladesh fast bowlers had missed a trick on the first day. They stuck to the off-stump and outside-off channel, and didn’t try anything different or fancy for long periods.Related

• Bangladesh top-order batters must learn from Taijul & Co to stay in the contest

• Bangladesh's fast-bowling evolution bears fruit in green Sylhet

• Kamindu Mendis: 'I worked tirelessly to get to this point'

• Vishwa, Kumara, Rajitha keep SL ahead on another bowlers' day

Vishwa took four wickets, which included Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto, both lbw, on the first evening. Rajitha had Mominul Haque on the first day and broke nightwatcher Taijul Islam’s resistance on the second, drawing the outside edge from both batters. He also removed Mehidy Hasan Miraz with a good-length ball that the allrounder tried to pull, only to get a leading edge to point. Kumara, playing his first Test after 12 months, removed Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shahadat Hossain with awaygoing deliveries. Litton Das fell inside-edging a Kumara delivery that nipped back in.It left Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling coach Dharshana Gamage rather pleased. “They bowled really well to get all ten wickets,” he said. “There was a bit of help from the wicket as well. There is a good layer of grass and it was bouncing also. They stuck to their basics, sticking on top of off-stump all day. That’s why they got success.”Our basic plan, what we spoke about the most, was discipline. It was because of our discipline that we were successful and ultimately able to get all ten wickets. We bowled in the right areas, bowled good spells. From both ends, we developed good bowling partnerships. That’s what we really focused on achieving.”He said that the target with Vishwa has been to keep him mentally ready for Tests as it has been his main format.Lahiru Kumara took three wickets on the second morning•AFP/Getty Images

“I think Vishwa plays Tests more than any other format. Domestically, he plays well in white-ball cricket as well. But in terms of international Test cricket, the number of matches he gets to play isn’t all that much. So we worked very hard to bring and keep him at this level,” Gamage said. “What we’re always looking at is how to keep him physically and mentally prepared for Test cricket. Because we know there are a fair few gaps between Tests, so that’s not something that is easy to deal with. Vishwa, however, works extremely hard to stay sharp and keep his rhythm.”As for Kumara, Gamage said that he, too, had worked on developing his bowling endurance after his return from a long injury layoff. “He has had some injuries in the last few years. We have worked hard on workload in the last couple of months,” Gamage said. “We try to bowl few long spells in practice to get used to bowling in Test cricket. He is in good shape at the moment. He showed that he could bowl consistently in the right areas and cause a lot of problems.”Since Chris Silverwood’s arrival as Sri Lanka head coach, the fast bowlers have shown discipline at bowling on and outside the off stump. They are without Asitha Fernando, but Kumara can stake a good enough claim to be in Sri Lanka’s first-choice pace attack. Vishwa and Rajitha too have made themselves Test regulars. The Test isn’t over, and the pace trio will likely have to put in another big shift to close it out.

CSK’s new leader reflects in the early stages of this year’s IPL and how he does not believe he is batting any differently

Alagappan Muthu09-Apr-20240:55

Wasim Jaffer: Ruturaj Gaikwad played according to the situation

The last Chennai Super Kings captain, MS Dhoni, had such a strong connection with this team that he has broken down while talking about them and wants to end his career at their home ground. The new CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, seems to be cut from the same cloth. His connection to this team is the driving force behind his captaincy.Gaikwad, speaking after CSK secured victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, said he doesn’t want to change anything just because he’s the one in charge right now. He also mentioned that Dhoni had sounded him out about leading CSK in IPL 2022 and in 2023, after every match, he sat down with the coach Stephen Fleming and discussed what he would have done had he been captain.Related

• Hussey hopes Dhoni keeps going for 'another couple of years'

• Live report – CSK vs KKR – Gaikwad, Jadeja get CSK back to winning ways

• Jadeja & Co pin KKR before Gaikwad finishes the job

• Iyer after KKR's loss at Chepauk: 'Fell short in terms of assessing the wicket'

“I don’t want to be a specific kind of character,” Gaikwad said. “Just like to flow things as they’re flowing. Keep the culture of the CSK basically going. That’s what I feel. The success we’ve had, the things we have been doing, I don’t want to change a single bit of it. I just want to come there, take my own decisions and just give as much freedom as possible because that’s what has been happening from when I joined CSK. Nothing really changes and I’m enjoying myself.”Gaikwad was bought by CSK for IPL 2019. He didn’t play any of the games that season and started slowly in 2020 but the team stuck by him and both of them have reaped rewards since. He has held the orange cap and his performances have helped them win two titles. The support that he has felt over the years is what he wants to offer to others now.

How Gaikwad came to know he would be CSK captain

Gaikwad was told about the added responsibility he would have this season in the middle of a training session with Dhoni.”To be honest, not really deep conversations, I feel…it was in a very chilled state. Just one conversation I would say. Just we were practicing and he came and told me all this stuff. Obviously for everyone, others on the outside, they would think they are big shoes to fill but I feel I would always be myself and I would like to continue the culture that has been going.”I remember in 2022 when he said to me, probably not next year, but after that you might get a chance to lead, so be ready for it. So obviously after that I was always ready for it. It was nothing new to me or a surprise or a shock. I know how to control the game. I know how the game progresses, which change [to make], what to do when, as I was doing for the state team as well. Even last year as well Fleming and me used to discuss captaincy after every game, about how I felt, what changes, bowling changes what I felt we needed to do, this or that. Every game we had one-on-one conversations so that really helped.”Ruturaj Gaikwad was able to pace a relatively simple chase•Associated Press

Has captaincy affected Gaikwad’s batting?

Gaikwad has made 155 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 117.42. He has had to work with a new opening partner this year, an IPL rookie in Rachin Ravindra. Have any of these changes forced him to bat differently?”There are certain things where the outside people don’t really get to know,” Gaikwad said. “Last year, [the] three, four games that we started, it was in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Mumbai and again Chennai. All those games were on flat wickets. So I feel the pitch really matters a lot.”First game [this season] I thought I’d got a good start, got a good ball [out for 15]. Second game, same I think, I’d got a good start, had to accelerate a little bit, you tend to make a mistake there [out for 46]. And third game, again I felt I was in great shape, second ball not really do anything [out for 1].”Sometimes there are phases where you get good balls. Sometimes there are phases where you are slightly unlucky. Sometimes there are phases where things don’t really fall in place, [a] good shot, going into fielder’s hands. So you don’t really need to think on that. I always felt I was in good shape, starting really well, good headspace, so I wasn’t really worried.”And captaincy, while batting, is a totally different approach. Even when I was playing my first game, or the first fifty I scored for CSK, I think [it was a] similar kind of situation, we were chasing 140 and I always wanted to stay till the end and make sure I finish the innings so pretty much same. Nothing really changes even though I am captain or not.”The past and the future: Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni saw CSK home•BCCI

Gaikwad’s Dhoni flashbacks

With three needed for victory on Monday, Ravindra Jadeja made as if he was going to come out to bat. He was in full kit and was about to step out into the ground when all of a sudden he just turned around and went right back to seat. It was all a tease, instigated by himself, to wind the crowd and even his own team-mates up, who roared with laughter when they finally realised what was going on.The noise that greeted Dhoni’s arrival for his first innings at Chepauk this IPL was incredible. It was so loud that Andre Russell fielding on the boundary had to shut his ears.”I was actually thinking, it was a little bit [of a] tricky situation. I knew that he was facing the last ball of the [17th] over. There was less chances of him taking a single and facing the next over again. And I was always thinking that probably if he gets to play two-three dot balls and I go and play, if I had an opportunity to get a dot ball, I would’ve definitely done it. But, yeah, it was a little bit nostalgic for me. Even my first fifty, we ended up finishing the match together. That was the first time I was batting with him. So obviously immediately as he was walking in, I had that flashback in my mind so good to share the 22 yards with him.”

Seamer has 12 wickets for the season after just three matches

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2024Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s sensational start to the season continued as she took 4 for 18 to help bowl the South East Stars to a 71-run (D/L) win over Central Sparks in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy match at Beckenham.The Maidstone-born seamer now has 12 wickets for the season after just three matches and a lethal spell helped finish the Sparks off after Paige Scholfield and Tash Farrant gave the Stars a platform with 65 and 54 respectively.Sparks’ Hannah Baker claimed five wickets in four balls to finish with career-best figures of 5 for 45 as the hosts faltered from 230 for 3 to 268 all out, but the total proved way beyond Sparks, who never seriously recovered from losing four wickets for two runs, having been on 56 for 2. They eventually closed on 119 for 6 when play was abandoned.The Stars chose to bat in bitter conditions and the Sparks initially struggled in the field, spilling a succession of chances as the openers put on an opening stand of 103.Farrant, captaining the side in the absence of Bryony Smith, was put down at cover by Ami Campbell off Wong when on 10 and the next delivery, from Grace Potts didn’t quite carry to slip. She was dropped again, at cover, off Potts when on 29 by Ria Fackrell.Kalea Moore was dropped by Campbell off Katie George when on 25 and when Campbell did finally grab Moore it was off a free hit.Farrant drove Fackrell through cover for four to reach her third half-century in as many games this season but the partnership was finally broken when Moore called Farrant for a single and Campbell ran her out from midwicket.In the next over, the 23rd, Fackrell had Moore caught at cover by Eve Jones for her highest List A score of 42.Sophia Dunkley was on 18 when Campbell couldn’t cling on to a violent pull shot, but she went for 37, caught behind by Abbey Freeborn off Bethan Ellis.Scholfield pulled Ellis for four through cow corner to reach 50 but got a life when she skyed the next ball, only for Ellis to stumble as she was about to take the catch.At that point the Stars looked on course for a total well over 300 but Baker then dragged the Sparks back into the contest.Phoebe Franklin went for 10, caught by Eve Jones at cover, Scholfield was taken on the long on boundary by Fackrell and Alice Davidson-Richards was caught at cover by Davina Perrin for five.Baker then conjured some tur to bowl Aylish Cranstone for 16 and with the final ball of her spell she had Ryana MacDonald-Gay caught for a duck.Potts got the wicket she deserved when Bethan Miles got a thick edge and was caught for a duck by Perrin.Issy Wong wrapped up the innings with two balls to spare when she bowled Danni Gregory off her pads for 1.Eve Jones and Chloe Brewer put on 35 for the first wicket for the Sparks, but the Sparks collapsed after the latter went for eight, pulling Farrant to Cranstone at mid-on.MacDonald-Gay then sent Davina Perrin’s middle stump flying for just three, before bowling a double-wicket-maiden in the 18th over. First she removed Jones for 29, the victim of a brilliant diving catch by Cranstone at point, then she had Campbell caught by Kalea Moore at square-leg.MacDonald-Gay then snared Abi Freeborn at point for three to give Davidson-Richards a deserved wicket, but she was denied a fifth wicket when Wong was spilled by Franklin at mid-wicket.Wong and Ellis showed some fight, the former hitting MacDonald-Gay for a six back over her head as they put together a partnership of 61 for the seventh wicket, but with 20 overs remaining the players went off for rain at 5pm. Wong was unbeaten on 34 while Ellis was 18 not out, but with the rain becoming torrential and no realistic prospect off a resumption, play was abandoned.

“Stats definitely going out of the window,” Punjab Kings captain says after his team pulls off a world-record chase against KKR

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-20243:00

Jaffer on Bairstow’s ton: ‘It’s mind-boggling’

After Punjab Kings ripped up the record books by mowing down 262 with eight balls to spare, their captain Sam Curran was left wondering if cricket was turning into an entirely different sport.”Cricket is turning into baseball, isn’t it? It was absolutely incredible,” Curran mused at the post-match presentation. “Where do we [start]? Absolutely delighted with two points. Games like that are out of the world, but most importantly we’ve had a tough few weeks as a team [this was Kings’ first win in five games] but we’ve really hung in there. We’ve taken teams down to the wire and, I think, forget about the scores… I thought we actually deserved victory.”The way batters have raised the ceiling of their hitting, a total of 300 has looked like an increasingly realistic prospect at different points this season. Seven of the top-eight IPL totals have come this season, with PBKS slotting in at six there with their record chase at Eden Gardens. Friday’s fixture also produced the most sixes (42) in a T20 match. It surpassed the 38 hits by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad last month, and by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and SRH in Bengaluru last week. Curran tried to make sense of the carnage.Related

• Clash of batting powerhouses as KKR and DC prepare for another run-fest

• Report – Bairstow bests Narine as Punjab Kings pull off record T20 chase

• Forty-two sixes, 523 runs and a world-record T20 chase

“Yeah, I think loads of different things [have added up to this],” Curran said. “I think the way guys train is obviously huge and they can hit balls for a long period of time. I guess it’s the confidence, coaches and the way we’ve been training. Let’s be honest – small grounds with a bit of dew and the ball [gets wet] and sometimes you get a wide call. You think you’ve got a dot ball, you review it and then it’s wide. Then an extra ball. So, yeah, not saying it’s a batsman’s game but it’s showing… I’m sure everyone wants to keep seeing sixes. I think stats is definitely going out of the window. It’s all about winning those small moments.”Curran was also pleased with how destroyer-in-chief on the night Jonny Bairstow bounced back after a string of low scores, which had resulted in him being dropped from the team.Getty Images

Bairstow has also had a tough winter with England in India. He is the only England player who has been involved in the 50-over World Cup, the five-Test series earlier this year and the IPL, and has struggled to make an impact across the long stint in India. On Friday, though, Bairstow returned in place of Liam Livingstone and got cracking in the massive chase. He stayed unbeaten on 108 off 48 balls with eight fours and nine sixes.”Really pleased for Jonny. He’s obviously been on tour for a really long time,” Curran said. “A couple of games out of the side, he looked like he came back really eager to score runs for the team and showed what an amazing player that he is. So, I’m really pleased for him.”Curran was also impressed with Shashank Singh, who clattered an unbeaten 68 off 28 balls, in an unbroken 84-run stand for the third wicket off 37 balls.3:15

Which is the worst way to get out, according to Jonny Bairstow?

“We gave him that extra bit of responsibility to go in and No. 4 and he’s been the find of the season for us,” Curran said of Shashank. “Him and Ashutosh [Sharma] have been absolutely incredible and I’m just really pleased. Our group has been through a lot in the last couple of weeks and like I said, take two points and you’re going to enjoy those small wins. And it’s not a small win. It’s a really big win to come to Kolkata and beat that team. Proud of the team, proud of the coaches and proud of everyone.”What was Bairstow’s game plan when faced with a chase of 262 on his comeback? “Try to whack it as far as possible,” Bairstow said with a smile. “I’ve never actually been in a game where 260 has been scored. Look, if it’s in your area, you gotta’ go. If you actually have a couple of quiet overs, which we actually did against Sunil [Narine, who finished with figures of 4-0-24-1]… [That was] because we know how important he is in their side and losing fewer wickets against someone like that is imperative to a chase like that.”Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer wanted his players to respond strongly when they face Delhi Capitals next up to end a stretch of five home games on the trot.”To be honest, both the teams played tremendously and I personally feel that this is one of those games where you have to go back to the drawing board and see to it that you introspect on the areas where you went wrong,” Shreyas said. “Especially batting first and getting 260 on the board and then not being able to defend it hurts, but at the same time, it’s a great lesson for all the players, especially the bowlers. We’ve got one more game over here and it’s important we assess the conditions and come up with greater ideas.”

England finding their range after difficult start as SA seek to maintain winning run

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-2024

Big picture: Who will give way at the top of Group 2?

What direction is the drama following these two teams going to go in next?On the face of it, things are going smoothly for South Africa. They are unbeaten at the tournament and have won matches when both setting targets and chasing but, and this is a big but, none of it has been easy. It’s not just they were pushed by former champions Sri Lanka (who actually did the least pushing) and fellow Super Eighters Bangladesh but also by three Associates: Netherlands, Nepal and USA. If England were watching, they will have seen the flaws in South Africa’s make-up, most notably in the batting. Two of the top three – Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram – have only just found form and the middle-order have not yet had the opportunity to play to their potential.England will have been more pre-occupied with their own sideshows. They survived a group-stage scare in which they were all but written off after their rain-out against Scotland and have played and lost to their biggest rivals, Australia. Their net-run-rate boosting victories over Oman and Namibia helped ensure their survival once Scotland’s challenge had faded, but their most recent win over West Indies could yet propel their campaign to a new level. It is entirely possible that three teams in a Super Eight pool of four could end up with two wins each, especially given USA’s underdog status in Group 2, and so net run-rate could provide decisive. England’s is currently at 1.34, which leaves them in a good position, and after their shaky start, they would like to think they’ve got on a roll.South Africa might argue that they are already on one, and all they have to do is stay consistent with the knockouts in sight. Their next challenge is to maintain their winning start against two former champions. England’s task is much less abstract. South Africa humbled them at the 2023 ODI World Cup, in the middle of a horror run they don’t want to repeat, and with only USA to come, they have a chance to stamp their authority on this event.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)

England: WWWLW

In the spotlight: Opening batters and the quickest of the quick

Both Quinton de Kock and Phil Salt played their best innings of the T20 World Cup in their last games with de Kock’s 74 setting South Africa up for a big total and Salt’s 87* helping England chase 181 against West Indies. Before those knocks, the numbers were not quite what the pair may have liked. De Kock had scores of 20, 0, 18 and 10 and Salt 37, 12 and 11. Starts, for sure and crucial to the tone of the innings, but they were not there at the end. Having players with their aggression bat through could be key on surfaces that seem to have offer runs and so how they perform in the next two matches could be key to their respective team’s semi-final hopes.South Africa have not had the challenge of consistent and genuine pace until now which makes Jofra Archer an interesting opponent. He is England’s joint-leading bowler at the tournament so far and has their best economy rate of 6.58 and could prove a handful to a top-order that is still finding its feet at the event. They’ll hope to counter-punch through Anrich Nortje , who equalled Dale Steyn’s record for the most wickets by a South African at T20 World Cups in the last match, and has looked menacing throughout. Nortje is the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker so far and has been played with respect. Will England’s batters, who enjoy pace on, show him the same?

Team news: Changes afoot for both teams?

South Africa are spoilt for choice in the bowling department and opted to bench Ottneil Baartman to accommodate an extra spinner in Antigua. That team composition could work well for them in St Lucia too but Tabraiz Shamsi was expensive against USA and they may consider left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin instead. However, given the variations he offers, Baartman could come back into contention too and it is a case of trying to fit three players into one spot.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markam, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi/Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich NortjeEngland stormed to a convincing win with this XI at this venue over West Indies, but the short turnaround means Mark Wood may be due a break from the action after another wholehearted, if unrewarded, display. Chris Jordan is the obvious inclusion, with Sam Curran’s left-handed options seemingly established ahead of Will Jacks, who struggled to translate his aggressive intent into runs in his two outings against Australia and Oman.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood / Chris Jordan, 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

Runs, and a fair few of them, have been available throughout the matches that have been played here with a first-innings average of 187. However, it’s not all smooth sailing for batters. There’s good bounce and carry on offer and some grip, which brought England’s spinners into play against West Indies. The one unknown is whether playing the match in the morning will make any difference to the conditions as all three matches so far have been night games. Weather-wise, there’s rain due over the weekend but the forecast for Friday is clear and humid with peak temperatures at 31 degrees.

Stats and trivia

• The head-to-head record between England and South Africa is all-square with each team having won 12 matches against the other. At T20 World Cups, South Africa hold the upper hand and have beaten England four times in their six meetings, including their most recent clash in Sharjah in 2021.
• Anrich Nortje is two wickets away from 50 in T20Is and Tabraiz Shamsi one away from 300 in all T20s.
• Jos Buttler needs 19 more runs to become the ninth batter to 1,000 in all T20s this year. Currently, there are five South Africans with that many for 2024: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickelton.

Quotes

“Hopefully.”

Kagiso Rabada’s one-word answer when asked if South Africa are peaking at the right time “A lot of people say you learn when you lose, but I truly believe you learn when you win as well. It’s important to reflect on what we did well today. We had a good performance, now we’ll put that to bed and focus on the next performance.”

England’s Jos Buttler has had enough with the platitudes about the gains from losing.

Hampshire’s quarter-final hopes look thin after two wins and five defeats

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2024Visa issues have prevented Ottneil Baartman, the South African fast bowler, from joining Hampshire for the rest of the T20 Blast.Baartman, who made six appearances at the T20 World Cup during South Africa’s run to the final, was due to play for Hampshire in their final six group games. But his arrival was delayed due to unspecified “visa issues” and the club announced on Friday that, with their quarter-final hopes thin, his deal has been cancelled.”We would like to wish Ottneil all the best and hope to see him in a Hawks shirt in the future,” Hampshire said in a club statement. Baartman initially signed as a replacement for Naveen-ul-Haq, who pulled out of his contract with Hampshire citing “personal reasons” and is instead playing for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket.After two wins, three no-results and five defeats, Hampshire sit seventh in the nine-team South Group of the Blast heading into Friday night’s fixture against Gloucestershire at the Ageas Bowl. With the top four teams qualifying for the quarter-finals, they may need to win all four of their remaining fixtures to progress.”We’ll have to do some maths to see if we can still qualify,” Adi Birrell, their coach, said after their most recent defeat to Sussex. “I can’t really think that two wins out of ten gives us a chance of getting through to the quarter-finals but we’ll have to have a look at it.”We had three rained-off games, which has given us a few points, but we’re not really playing well enough to go through… we were a bit off in all departments [against Sussex], as we have been throughout the campaign. We haven’t really put in a good performance in all departments.”

Despite fifties from Masood, Ayub and Agha, and four dropped catches, Pakistan were bowled out for 274

Hemant Brar31-Aug-2024Despite half-centuries from Shan Masood, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, and four dropped catches of varying difficulty, Pakistan were bowled out for 274 on the second day of the second Test in Rawalpindi. For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz caused the most damage, finishing with figures of 5 for 61.The Bangladesh openers, Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan, had two overs to face before stumps. Mir Hamza got Shadman to edge the first ball of the innings to fifth slip but Saud Shakeel grassed the chance, letting Bangladesh go back unscathed.That Pakistan are without Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah makes their position even more precarious. With Naseem “rested”, Pakistan’s four frontline bowlers for this match have played a combined experience of 16 Tests.Earlier, a warm and sunny morning greeted the teams after rain had washed out the opening day. Given the moisture in the pitch, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had no hesitation in bowling first in what is now a four-day Test.Taskin, who returned from a shoulder injury, proved his captain right by striking in the first over. After bowling five outswingers to Abdullah Shafique, he got the last ball to nip back off the seam. Shafique was not prepared for it. He came forward to defend but left a huge gap between the bat and the pad. The ball sneaked through and hit the top of off stump.For a while, Taskin and Hasan Mahmud kept Ayub quiet by bowling predominantly from around the wicket. Ayub was on 4 off 25 balls at one point but hit three fours in the next 11 balls he faced. Masood was positive right from the start. As a result, the fifty stand between the two came in just 68 balls.Saim Ayub and Shan Masood had a century partnership for the second wicket•PCB

It was not that the Bangladesh seamers did not induce mistakes but none of them brought a wicket. As the day progressed, the pitch eased out. Ten minutes before lunch, Masood brought up his fifty, off just 54 balls. He hit only two fours in his fifty, which made it the fastest fifty in Test cricket since 2002 with two, or fewer, boundaries.At lunch, Pakistan were comfortably placed on 100 for 1 from 25 overs. But things changed after the break with Mehidy removing Masood and Ayub in quick succession. Bowling around the wicket, he first trapped Masood lbw with the one that straightened after pitching. Ayub brought up his fifty with a pulled four off Nahid Rana but when he came out of his crease to smash Mehidy, the offspinner beat him in the flight and had him stumped.Mehidy had an opportunity to further increase Pakistan’s woes but he dropped a regulation catch of Shakeel at second slip off Rana’s bowling. Had the catch been taken, Pakistan would have been 125 for 4.Shakeel failed to take advantage of the reprieve, though. He did hit Taskin for back-to-back fours but chopped on the last ball of the over onto his stumps to be dismissed for 16.At 151 for 4, Pakistan were relying on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the umpteenth time to pull them out of trouble. But it was not to be. Shakib had Babar playing back to an arm ball when the batter should have been forward and had him lbw. Shakib could have had Agha too in the same over but Zakir failed to hold on to a difficult bat-pad chance at short leg.Rizwan fell shortly after tea, fending a short ball from Rana to first slip. Agha and Khurram Shahzad added 25 for the seventh wicket to keep Bangladesh at bay for a while. Mehidy threatened to end their resistance when he got Shahzad to edge one low to the left of first slip but Shadman could get only fingertips to the ball.Mehidy, though, did not have to wait for long. In his next over, Shahzad miscued a lofted shot towards mid-off where Shakib moved swiftly to his right to take a tumbling catch.But Bangladesh were not done with their gifts. Soon after, Mominul Haque dropped a straightforward chance from Mohammad Ali at leg slip off Shakib. However, that also did not hurt Bangladesh as Mehidy had Ali caught at slip in the next over.Agha got another life on 46. He inside-edged Taskin onto his pad and Mehidy caught the rebound at gully. But the umpire failed to spot the edge. Having burnt all their reviews, Bangladesh had no other option than to accept the on-field decision. Agha rubbed it in by pulling Taskin over fine leg for a six to bring up his fifty.With only two wickets left, Agha was taking more and more chances. Along with Abrar Ahmed, he added 28 for the ninth wicket before pulling Tasking into the hands of fine leg. From the other end, Abrar gave charge to Mehidy and was stumped, bringing curtains to the innings.

Young seamer takes 3 for 52 as Glamorgan’s perfect start continues

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2024Ben Morris blasted a hole in the Essex middle-order to introduce himself on to the first-team stage as Glamorgan maintained their 100 per cent record in this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Chelmsford.A year after making his Glamorgan debut in the competition, the 20-year-old seamer grabbed his maiden List A wickets in only his third appearance with figures of 3 for 52 as Essex struggled to defeat. He was the perfect foil to his more experienced fellow seamer Jamie McIlroy, who took late wickets to register a career-best 3 for 33.That Essex were so close to their second win of the season was thanks to a record last-wicket stand of 68 in nine overs between Ben Allison (26) and Aaron Beard (42 not out) that would have embarrassed some of their batting superiors.That Essex had to chase 284 was largely down to Sam Northeast, who cemented Glamorgan’s innings with a 93-ball 89. He was ably supported in stands of 74 and 71 stands by Billy Root and Asa Tribe respectively.Northeast was eventually out after two hours and 15 minutes, one of seven wickets in which Essex rookie wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes was involved – five catches behind the stumps and two run-outs. Shane Snater took three Glamorgan wickets for 46 and Jamal Richards posted List A best figures of 3 for 68 as Glamorgan ran up 283.Essex put in Glamorgan on a green-tinged wicket of considerable bounce and carry early on before flattening out. Snater exploited the conditions and had Eddie Byrom caught behind off one that hissed and fizzed during a personal sequence of 12 scoreless deliveries.Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson hung around for 11 overs for 13 in a 54-run partnership with Will Smale. But his eyes lit up at a half-volley from Richards that he flashed low into extra cover’s hands. Smale stroked seven fours in an attractive 43, but departed lbw to one from Richards that nipped back.Northeast and Root looked unperturbed in a stand of 74 that spanned 16 overs until Root pushed Tom Westley for a risky single to mid-on. Northeast showed no interest, turning his back, Root kept running, Snater dived and threw to the striker’s end to complete the run-out by more than half the pitch.As the wicket flattened out, Tribe helped Northeast add another 71 in 10 overs until he tried to work Ben Allison down to third man and edged behind. Snater claimed his second wicket soon after when Tom Bevan sliced high and Fernandes made ground to take the catch at short fine leg.Douthwaite hit Richards for 24 in an over, including two sixes, but that precipitated a collapse of four wickets in 22 balls for 17 runs. At the start of the next over, Northeast attempted to cut Allison and was caught behind. Fernandes claimed a fifth catch when Andy Gorvin went to ramp Snater, and then ran Douthwaite out with a direct hit. Morris departed first ball to a catch at fine leg for Richards’s third wicket.Essex, missing bright hope Charlie Allison to a hamstring injury, were quickly in trouble. Glamorgan bowled four maidens in the first nine overs, by which time they had sent back openers Feroze Khushi and Nick Browne as well as Robin Das. Khushi got a leading edge to third man against Douthwaite, Browne hoicked McIlroy to mid-on and Das skied Douthwaite towards square leg where wicketkeeper Smale ran round to pouch.Sixteen dot balls followed Das’s dismissal before Douthwaite conceded 17 in the 10th over, including three delightful cover drives by Benkenstein, who contributed to Carlson leaking 10 more in the next to drag Essex back into the game.Benkenstein put on 61 for the fourth wicket with Westley, hitting six fours in his 41-ball 39 before misjudging one from Gorvin that kept low. Noah Thain hung around for 19 balls before taking a swing at Morris and holed out in the deep.Morris claimed his second scalp the ball after Westley had pulled him for four to reach a 72-ball half-century, and then had Fernandes bowled playing over a delivery.