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Steven Smith’s third century of the series carried Australia to 300, while India bounced back through wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav’s 4 for 68 on debut

The Report by Daniel Brettig25-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:34

Chappell: First thought Kuldeep’s selection was gutsy

Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wristspin gave this series yet another unexpected twist, trumping the far more consistent theme of the Australian captain Steven Smith’s batting excellence, as India enjoyed the better of the first day of the decisive fourth Test in Dharamsala.Having reached lunch at a domineering 131 for 1, Australia gave up their last nine wickets for a mere 169, all on a surface that showed itself to be by a distance the most evenly paced of the series. That they did so was down largely to Kuldeep, who was given a key role immediately upon the afternoon’s resumption by the stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane and responded with a delectable spell that turned the direction of the day.Though Smith motored to his third century of the series – one of only six visiting batsmen to score that many in India – he was left without significant top-order support, and of the rest only Matthew Wade was able to endure for any protracted period. A good indicator of the different nature of play in Dharamsala was that the innings went by without a single recourse to the DRS, in sharp contrast to earlier matches. The new ball in Australian hands looms large as a key to the match.An irony of Kuldeep’s display was that he had come into the side in place of Virat Kohli, who was reduced to drinks duties after concluding that his strained right shoulder was not going to be 100% fit for this match, the last of the Test season. Turning the ball sharply both ways while maintaining an immaculate length and line, Kuldeep recalled the problems created for Australia by another left-arm wristspinner in Sri Lanka last year – Lakshan Sandakan.The Dharamsala pitch offered pace and bounce for both fast men and spinners to exploit, and it was the fresher fingers of Kuldeep that were best able to take full advantage rather than either Ravindra Jadeja or R Ashwin. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who replaced Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav had both found new-ball movement before Smith took control of proceedings with some help from David Warner.After Rahane lost the toss, Bhuvneshwar’s first ball of the match swerved away from Warner at drivable length. Warner chased it and edged, but the chance was grassed when Karun Nair could get only one hand to it. That incident was a necessary stroke of luck Warner needed after a largely barren series, and after Matt Renshaw was beaten and bowled by a Umesh delivery that straightened down the line, he and Smith were quickly into stride by using the extra pace and bounce offered up by Dharamsala’s hard pitch and thinner atmosphere.1:19

Steven Smith: highest average for a captain v India

Smith wasted little time to get moving, capitalising on any errors in line or length and at one point miscuing a hook at Umesh, so eager was he to get after the bowling. On another day the ball might have plopped into the gloves of Wriddhiman Saha, but here it fell safely.Warner was a little more sluggish after that early chance, covering up in defence to ensure he did not miss any of Bhuvneshwar’s inswingers, and on one occasion cuffing a boundary over the slips when trying to avoid a short ball. The arrival of spin helped Warner build momentum, as the Dharamsala surface offered the odd bit of spin but otherwise played in a friendly fashion in the morning session.Kuldeep was called upon for a pair of overs before the lunch interval, but he too was struck for boundaries as Smith and Warner set a highly promising platform for the tourists.Rahane and his bowlers reset their plans during the interval, focusing on greater economy while encouraging Kuldeep to maintain a full length and test Australia’s batsmen on the drive. Warner seemed preoccupied with trying to cut or force off the back foot, and in trying to do so from a delivery well pitched up, he succeeded only in edging to slip.Shaun Marsh, so stubborn in the second innings in Ranchi, flicked limply at an Umesh delivery and was taken down the leg side cheaply, before Peter Handscomb was out to a lovely piece of bowling from Kuldeep. The ball was tossed up and slower, drifting enough to drag Handscomb’s bat away from his pad and then breaking back through the gap to splay the stumps.Glenn Maxwell thought himself capable of muscling Kuldeep out of the attack and managed one lofted boundary, but he too was unable to be sure of which way the ball was turning. Two balls after reaching the rope, he went back to what he thought was a stock ball and instead found himself beaten and bowled by a googly.Smith’s earlier rapid scoring had slowed, and it was a subdued celebration on reaching three figures. He seemed likely to shepherd Matthew Wade to the tea break, but with five minutes to go edged an Ashwin drifter to slip, the ball after Wade had sneaked a bye from a ball that turned expansively.Pat Cummins, Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon all offered momentary support to Wade, who played sensibly to ensure the visitors at least reached the 300 mark. But Kuldeep’s return to the attack accounted for Cummins, before O’Keefe was run-out by the substitute fielder Shreyas Iyer, who many had expected to be playing in place of Kohli. Needing to win the match to claim the series, India’s selectors had instead gambled on the extra bowler – Kuldeep’s wiles offered the richest of rewards.

Surrey’s Kumar Sangakkara and Scott Borthwick added a partnership of 256 on the final day to ensure a draw against Lancashire

Tim Wigmore at Kia Oval17-Apr-2017
ScorecardIf Surrey are to make the title tilt that many consider within their grasp, they will seldom be able to bully teams as they did Warwickshire at The Oval last week. To thrive in a Division One that appears more competitive than ever, Surrey will need resilience, stubbornness, and the savvy to escape from precarious positions with minimal harm. Kumar Sangakkara and Scott Borthwick displayed plenty of such qualities in adding 256 to ensure a draw against Lancashire.Both played magnificently. In recent times Sangakkara’s innings for Surrey have taken on the air of a father playing with children in the park without wanting to be too mean-spirited: he has thrashed the bowling around a little and then generously chipped the ball to the on side, as in his tame dismissal for 46 on the third day.His brilliance for Surrey has been more fleeting than a club would hope from their overseas star; a year had passed since his last Championship century, during which there have been seven half-centuries, each containing wondrous shots yet none leaving an indelible mark on a match. But here, dreamy batsmanship fused with tenacity, as if Sangakkara was piqued by the notion that this game would be defined by another retired Test great, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.After Surrey’s inertia against Lancashire’s spin twins in their first innings, Sangakkara resolved not to let the opposition attack establish such a hold again. Each of his 16 boundaries were hit so sweetly that the fielders themselves seemed inclined to applaud. Three particularly stood out: caressing Kyle Jarvis down the ground, generating ferocious power from nothing more than a nonchalant push; shimmying down the pitch and contemptuously lifting Simon Kerrigan into the second tier; and then slog-sweeping Kerrigan to reach his century, a shot in keeping with the determination to dominate that infused his innings.Borthwick, meanwhile, moved to The Oval hoping to construct innings such as this. He batted rather more austerely than Sangakkara, underpinned by a firm forward stride to inoculate his stumps from harm. If there was less for aesthetes to savour from Borthwick, he was no less effective, sweeping efficiently against spin, greeting any width on the off side by thrashing the ball through the covers, and scything anything short through his favoured leg side, as when he received an egregious long-hop on 99 to reach his century.”It’s something I’ve dreamt of for the last five or six months,” he said. On a day when Durham lost their opening game in Division Two, this, following Mark Stoneman’s debut century for Surrey last week, was another reminder of the talent that Durham has produced and now has lost.It is a little over three years since Borthwick’s solitary Test cap, as a legspinner, and a little under a year since he was primed to be picked against Pakistan as a specialist Test batsman, only for his batting returns to fall away just as the scrutiny increased. On this evidence, the first cap of the new stage of his career might not be far away, though the scramble for England places has seldom been fiercer.Borthwick believes that batting alongside Sangakkara, just as he used to for Durham, will aid his prospects. “Batting with him it’s almost like you’re learning by watching him and the way he’s talking to you. He’s a bit of a batting coach as well, he gives you tips, especially against spin,” Borthwick said. “At Durham you don’t get to play against spin much so it’s good that I did what I did today, and can learn from Sanga – he’s the master.”Yet, as well as Borthwick batted, he knows that honing his legspin, restricted to nine overs so far in 2017, will increase his chances of another England cap.”I don’t want to be a frontline anything – I want to score runs and take wickets and be an allrounder,” he said. “If we get wickets that can turn I might be able to get more wickets. Looking at that wicket there we’ve just batted on, it’ll spin. So hopefully if we do produce wickets like that than myself, Gareth [Batty] and Zafar [Ansari] can come into the game because I think it will definitely spin. Hopefully we can help each other. There’ll be times when it’ll be my day and times when it’ll be their day.”Lancashire’s flag was removed prematurely from the ground in the afternoon, as if preparing the side for an early getaway, and it seemed a recognition that this was not their day. Yet that detracted little from an admirable display in south London, with the return of James Anderson for their next fixture providing a further source of comfort.

A remarkable day’s play, which finally ended 90 minutes after the scheduled close, saw 484 runs scored and 13 wickets fall

ECB Reporters Network21-May-2017
ScorecardDarren Stevens counterattacked to good effect•Getty Images

A remarkable day’s play, which finally ended 90 minutes after the scheduled close, saw 484 runs scored and 13 wickets fall as Kent, with Darren Stevens inevitably leading the way, countered after being reduced to 144-5 replying to Leicestershire’s first innings score of 420.Stevens, picking up where he left off in hitting 147 off just 67 balls in the Royal London Cup against Glamorgan in his previous innings, smashed an unbeaten half-century off just 30 balls in the hour before play finally ended at 7.30pm at the Fischer County Ground.Leicestershire’s left-arm quick bowler Dieter Klein had picked up four wickets as the home team did their best to make up for the time lost to the weather over the first two days of the game, when only 47.3 overs had been possible.The afternoon had seen the Foxes’ tail wag to impressive effect to ensure a maximum bonus points return.Play resumed with Leicestershire on 129 for 2, and Colin Ackermann was fortunate to survive when he edged the second ball of the day, from Matt Hunn, just short of Matt Coles at first slip. Thereafter, however, the South African played with an unhurried assurance, going to his 50 with a cut to the boundary off Coles.He and Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove had added 76 runs for the third wicket when Cosgrove, on 39, was trapped leg-before by a Stevens inswinger. Ackermann lofted James Tredwell for a straight six, but the off-spinner did enjoy success shortly before lunch when Ned Eckersley tried to pull a short ball, missed, and was bowled for 33.Having bowled without much luck in the morning session, the Kent seamers enjoyed better fortunes immediately after the break. Ackermann was caught behind by Daniel Bell-Drummond, who had taken over the gloves after Adam Rouse dislocated his thumb earlier in the day, Mark Pettini went leg before to James Harris and Callum Parkinson, pushing forward, was comfortably held by substitute fielder Alex Blake at fourth slip off Hunn.At 278-7 Leicestershire were in danger of subsiding, but Tom Wells, Klein and then Clint McKay all put bat to ball. Wells, on his first championship appearance, was disappointed to sky an attempted leg-side clip high to mid-off on 46, but Klein thumped 23 off just ten balls, and McKay, having gone to his 50 with a straight six off James Harris, went to a first-class career best 66 with a similar blow.When Kent began their reply, Klein, swinging the ball back in to the right-handers, quickly pinned Sean Dickson leg before and bowled Joe Denly with a full delivery before a partnership of 57 between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Northeast went some way towards repairing the visitors’ fortunes.Wells dismissed Bell-Drummond with his first ball, and Klein returned to have both Northeast and Will Gidman caught edging loose drives. Kent were in serious trouble, but Stevens played as though the score was 400 rather than 150, hitting through the line of the ball with supreme confidence and timing.He was particularly severe on the unfortunate Callum Parkinson, hitting the young left-arm spinner for 30 off just three overs on his first-class debut for Leicestershire, and his half-century included nine fours and a six.

James Anderson was enjoying a productive Roses new-ball spell against Yorkshire – and then local rivalries gave way to England concerns as he limped off injured

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford19-May-2017
Scorecard1:22

County Championship round-up: Lancashire sweat over Anderson injury

James Anderson is occasionally seen as one of England’s grumpier cricketers but he can hardly have failed to be content with life as he began his sixth over on the first morning of this 270th Roses match. Having already caught Adam Lyth at third slip off Tom Bailey and bowled Alex Lees playing no stroke for nought, Anderson was probably looking forward to interrogating the techniques of Gary Ballance, the country’s most in-form batsman, and Peter Handscomb, an Australian with whom he will hope to renew hostilities in the winter.But that is where the tidings of joy ended for Lancashire, England and the bowler himself. As he was about to bowl his 34th ball of the day Anderson pulled up in his delivery stride and immediately collapsed on his back in the middle of the pitch clutching the right side of his groin. Umpire Nick Cook quickly summoned Lancashire physio, Sam Byrne, with whom Anderson left the field. Thus a match which takes pride in its insularities acquired national significance within an hour of it beginningGlen Chapple, the first team coach at Old Trafford, confirmed that Anderson had suffered a tight groin and would be assessed again on Saturday morning to see if he needs a scan. Chapple’s counterpart, Andrew Gale, was in admirably generous mood, saying that “for the sake of the country’s cricket, no one wants to see Jimmy go down,” but Gale’s magnanimity did not, of course, prevent Yorkshire’s batsmen looking to make hay on a day when the sun rarely shone at Emirates Old Trafford.Those efforts were led, predictably enough, by Gary Ballance, for whom this spring has been a season of greater than green abundance. Yet by the close, Yorkshire cause’s was being advanced by Jack Leaning and Andrew Hodd, whose unbroken 73-run partnership for the seventh wicket had probably justified their captain’s decision to bat first, even if that decision was prompted by a fear of batting last.Indeed, this first day at Emirates Old Trafford was notable for a scoring rate and a measure of justified caution which would have been familiar to the watching Richard Hutton, Yorkshire’s newly-appointed president. Hutton’s own era was notable for its Verdunesque sieges against the White Rose’s closest rivals, albeit that such rivalry also concealed warm friendships and a common approach to the incomparable game.To a degree Yorkshire and Lancashire need and deserve each other and this was grittily apparent as the visitors proceeded carefully to 71 for two at lunch with Peter Handscomb and Ryan McLaren, both of whom were playing in their first four-day Roses match, tussling for advantage. McLaren, who looks a better signing with every day’s cricket he plays for Lancashire, won that battle when he had Handscomb lbw for 29 in the sixth over of the afternoon.Yet as they pondered a score of 90 for 3, Yorkshire supporters could be encouraged by the way their captain was batting and especially his neat and accurate footwork. Last summer Ballance scored 780 Championship runs despite often appearing moored to the crease; this year he has three centuries and two fifties to his credit and his movements are altogether more fluid and purposeful. Perhaps he has watched his Yorkshire and England colleague, Joe Root, in action and adapted the injunction of the popular songster, Robbie Williams, to the effect that “if you can’t get a run and your best friend can, it’s time to move your body”. More likely, of course, Ballance has tweaked his technique to good purpose in the manner of fine batsmen. As a result, he leads his county in more ways than one.All of which only increased the mild shock caused when Ballance was dismissed for 74 by a wide ball of no menace from Bailey, the wicket-taking capability of the delivery only being revealed when the batsman slapped it carelessly to Stephen Parry at mid-off. That wicket was the prelude to Lancashire’s best period of the day since Anderson had conjured one back off the seam to trim Alex Lees’ off stump. Tim Bresnan hit Simon Kerrigan for a straight six but was bowled for 13 by one from McLaren which kept slightly low. Azeem Rafiq had managed only 16 when he pulled an unusually short ball from Parry straight to Steven Croft at midwicket. That left Yorkshire on 178 for 6 but Leaning and Hodd’s shot selection was the best of the day and they looked in little trouble as they shepherded their side to a slight superiority at the close.Yet the relative gentleness of the evening session and the sense in which it took its place in a long tradition did not expunge the equally pleasant memories of the early morning when Anderson had run in under full sail and the cricket had been watched by 4000 schoolchildren, all of them attending the Lancashire Foundation’s Schools Open Day. The children were given Lancashire Lightning flags and nearly all were flourished as Croft led his players out for the morning session. Not since Pyongyang displayed its latest batch of missiles have thousands of red flags been waved with so much zeal; certainly such enthusiasm was a contrast to the seething silence which once characterised the first mornings of Roses matches. God knows what Emmott Robinson would have made of it.

The Supreme Court ruled that the BCB can make changes to the constitution, without outside interference from the National Sports Council

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2017BCB president Nazmul Hassan has called for swift elections after the Supreme Court ruled that the board can amend its constitution without interference from the National Sports Council, the government regulatory body for sports. The Supreme Court said the National Sports Council has no authority in amending the BCB constitution.A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the order after disposing the appeal that was filed against a High Court verdict that declared an amendment to BCB’s constitution, made by the National Sports Council, as illegal on January 27, 2013. On the following day, an appeal to stay the order was granted by the High Court.In November 2012, former BCB director Mobasher Hossain and Yusuf Jamil Babu filed a writ at the Dhaka High Court, challenging the legality of the BCB constitution’s amendment.”We are waiting to receive a copy of the full verdict but the case has been dismissed,” Hassan said. “From what we have heard, it has been a very positive verdict for Bangladesh cricket. Now we have to quickly announce dates for AGM and EGM to make changes to the constitution.”The court will issue directives and make some observations about the authority of the BCB and the NSC in a full judgment, which will be released later.

India captain says communication channels within team will ensure the player who is left out understands the situation

Sidharth Monga in Colombo02-Aug-2017M Vijay injured his hand in the first Test in the West Indies last year. He had been India’s premier opener since they started a long leg of overseas Tests in December 2013. The hand healed in time for the third Test, but in the meanwhile KL Rahul came in and scored 158. Fit for the third Test, Vijay was left out to give Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan another go. This didn’t get as much attention then because a more questionable selection was made in that Test: Cheteshwar Pujara was left out and Rohit Sharma was picked as one of the five specialist batsmen. Kohli batted at No. 3, India found themselves at 126 for 5, and perhaps a lesson or two was learnt.In came a policy that a regular player would reclaim his spot upon proving his match fitness. Parthiv Patel scored important runs against England, even opened the innings when other openers were not available, but had to relinquish his slot as soon as Wriddhiman Saha was fit. There were other such examples – Jayant Yadav making way for Amit Mishra for one – through the home season. Now, it is all set to continue with Rahul coming back into the XI for the second Test, even though both openers scored runs when he missed the first Test because of an illness.This involves resisting the temptation of giving the two other openers – Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund – another go in a relatively easier Test because the two best openers for bigger Tests are already identified: Vijay and Rahul. On the contrary, Kohli felt Rahul needed to be given assurance that his place was secure.”It is very important for us to make him feel that this is spot,” Kohli said. “And it won’t be changed because of unfortunate events that happen outside of the playing field or the injuries that you can’t control. That phase you have to come back, get stronger. He has really stuck it out in that phase. It’s been hard for him, we all know that, because he was batting so well and then he was out because of this.”It is very important to make him feel secure and he deserves it because he has given us those big performances when the team has required it the most. He is a guy who needs to be backed and we as a team, as management, and me as captain all back him 100%.”Kohli didn’t want any ambivalence around who the pre-eminent opener was. “Obviously KL has been our established opener,” he said. “I feel one of the openers will have to make way for KL because what he’s done in the past two years for us has been very solid, and he deserves to come back and start fresh in Test cricket again. We have a team meeting later on, after practice. We’ll be able to clarify that then, but yes, according to me, KL will definitely come back into the XI.”That obviously begs the tricky question: who out of Dhawan and Abhinav goes out? The man who was the No. 3 opener before the series started or the man who came in and scored a 190? Is long-term form more relevant or is it a shootout based on the last game? If it is the last game, is it the man who took a sensational catch and a run-out or the man who had the bigger impact with the bat?Kohli was as unsubtle as he could in saying that Dhawan will continue in the XI. “I feel in a situation like this, you need to sit down and think which player has had more impact on the game,” Kohli said. “Who has been able to sort of make that difference in the game straightaway. It all depends on who has had a better game, to be honest.”Kohli did go on to say that the communication channels within the team will make sure the player who is left out understands the situation. “It’s a pretty thin line, it is a very small margin, but unfortunately that is how the sport goes,” Kohli said. “The guy who sits out will understand the reasons behind it. Not to say that those people are not being backed.”But it’s whatever the best combination we as a team feel we should take on the field, we back that and we take that call, and it is up to the individuals who are involved in that decision to understand it is for the best interest of the team. The guys are professional enough to know that but I think in a scenario like this, you will always think of a guy who has had more impact on setting up the game or winning the game for the team.”

Even as their board pushes to host a four-day Test against Zimbabwe, senior players Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar voiced reservations over shortening the format

Firdose Moonda02-Oct-2017South Africa’s players were not properly consulted about CSA’s plans to pioneer four-day Tests, and are not in favour of shortening the format. That may not matter when South Africa host Zimbabwe for a four-day, day-night match, even though the man who initially touted the idea, former CEO Haroon Lorgat, is no longer in charge.Lorgat left his post last Thursday after his relationship with the CSA board had become untenable but CSA will still petition the ICC to allow them to trial the concept, at the Chief Executives Conference in New Zealand next week. CSA will be represented by Acting CEO Thabang Moreo and president Chris Nenzani, who confirmed the administration’s commitment to the cause. “We are an organisation and when the organisation comes up with an idea it is not the product of one person. We as an organisation decided on this,” Nenzani said.However, that organisation did not seek the views of those who will have to make the idea a reality, the players. Lorgat held some discussions with the South African team management when Russell Domingo was still the coach, as far back as August, and were due to have a final consultation with players, which never took place.For the South African Cricketers’ Association, that is a sticking point. “I expressed the same concern to CSA before Haroon left – the fact that there was no proper consultation. There are a lot of cricket aspects involved. It is quite a big change to a format. It’s four days and day-night, playing against a team that has never played with a pink ball. It’s the combination of four-day and day-night that concerns,” Tony Irish, SACA CEO said. “I understand why CSA want to do this. They want to provide content over a period (Boxing Day) where there is traditionally cricket. I am not sure that a four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe is the answer.”After the first Test against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom, which South Africa won 84 minutes into the final morning, both captain Faf du Plessis and opening batsman Dean Elgar expressed their desire to keep Test cricket as is.”I am a fan of five-day Test cricket. I believe the great Test matches have gone to the last hour of the last day on day five. That’s what is so special about Test cricket,” du Plessis said. “For five days you have to graft it out. Bowlers have to bowl a lot more and batters have to construct much bigger innings. A day five was needed today. If it was a rain off yesterday, it would have been very disappointing so I am a fan of that.”Elgar went as far as to question why Test cricket’s traditional make-up is being experimented with. “I’m a five-day Test specialist, and it must stay that way in my opinion. I don’t think you should tinker with something that’s not broken. If you go and play around the world, Test cricket is followed quite well. If you play in Australia, if you play in England, even if you play in South Africa against the relatively big nations you still get very good crowds. There are other formats that are being experimented with. I don’t see why Test cricket should suffer. I am purist when it comes to that. Hopefully the game can have longevity in the five-day format,” Elgar said.’I don’t think you should tinker with something that’s not broken’ – Dean Elgar•AFP

Senwes Park, a small venue not regarded as one of the premier grounds in the country and has only hosted one Test before the match against Bangladesh, had a festive atmosphere though it was sparsely attended over five days. For Elgar, that did not lessen the importance of the match or make a case for shorter games, especially as South Africa do not play Test cricket at their second-tier grounds often.”It doesn’t happen every summer where we get to play a game in Potchefstroom where there isn’t a big crowd,” he said. “Us as players, we know we still have to have a job. We have to go out and play for five days. I don’t think you should tinker with the duration of the match depending on who you are playing against. That’s when you start disrespecting the game a little bit and ultimately not favouring the format. You can ask me this as many times as you want. I am a five-day specialist and that’s the way it should stay.”The strong views aired by two of South Africa’s senior-most players were not heard in the CSA boardroom. Moroe “only found out today” about the players’ concerns through SACA at a CSA meeting. As far as Moroe understands, they have agreed to play the Zimbabwe match, as long as the match has Test status. “If ICC sanctions it, players will play,” he said.To that end, du Plessis’ expressed an “understanding and appreciation” for the broader thinking behind four-day Tests, even though he expects they will present less of a challenge. “It’s difficult because as cricketers we are used to it for now and its something difficult to change. If it happens, we will move on and accept the change,” he said. “If four-day Test cricket comes around, you will have creative captaincy, more aggressive game plans, sporting declarations, but I think with the way Test cricket is at the moment it’s about how long you can go, how long can your skill sets last. That’s the challenge with Test cricket.”Further evidence supporting that theory also came on Monday in Abu Dhabi, where a thrilling final day between Pakistan and Sri Lanka brought an otherwise dreary affair to life. Matches in the UAE are prime cases for five-day Tests. Since 2010, when Pakistan began playing regularly there, 75% of matches have gone to the fifth day. Globally, in the same period, 58% of Tests, have gone to the fifth day but South Africa (43.3%) and India (47.1%) are two countries where less than half of Tests have needed five days.Perhaps, that’s why South Africa can position itself as the obvious choice for the first four-day match, even though the global player body FICA “do not have an official position” on the concept yet, according to Irish, who is also the FICA head. “We don’t think there’s enough work being done into it. In the survey, the majority of players were not in favour. That’s an issue over the concept. It’s about looking at the advantages and disadvantages,” he said.Still, it is widely expected the ICC will back the CSA’s plan, but if it does not, Moroe has already begun working on a contingency plan. CSA’s General Manager Corrie van Zyl and Commercial Manager Clive Eksteen have been tasked with deciding how CSA will approach matters if they draw a blank in Auckland, given that CSA have promised to provide some content over the Boxing Day period. “Our broadcasters need content. We need players to play cricket,” Moroe said.Ironically, South Africa will do that more than ever this summer. They have just begun their busiest home season yet with tours from Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, India and Australia visiting and the inaugural edition of the T20 Global League in a summer that will last seven months. Player fatigue has already come under the spotlight with four premier fast bowlers, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Chris Morris and Morne Morkel all injured. As new inventions crop up, perhaps player power also will.

Recall came as a surprise but James Vince believes his game is well suited to the challenge of batting in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2017James Vince recognises that success in an Ashes series can kickstart a player’s career like few other campaigns, as he prepares to seize his “second chance” following a surprise recall to England’s Test team.Vince, 26, appeared to have been tried and discarded by England after averaging 19.27, with a highest score of 42, in seven home Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2016.But, despite a low-key season for Hampshire in the County Championship, he was named ahead of Tom Westley in England’s Ashes squad, and is widely tipped to bat at the problematic No. 3 position in the first Test at Brisbane on November 23.”I’ve had 12 months away from Test cricket, and I was disappointed with how my career started,” Vince said. “But this is a great opportunity here to put it right, and get myself established in the Test side.””It’s a second chance,” he added. “Cooky [Alastair Cook] alluded to it before we came out, that an Ashes series is bigger than any other, if you come here and do well, it can kickstart your career.”Speaking at the Waca in Perth, where England are acclimatising ahead of their first warm-up match on Saturday, Vince conceded that his recall had come as something of a surprise, but believes that his game is well suited to the challenge of batting on Australian pitches.”I played out here when I was a bit younger,” he said. “It’s a different ball and we’ll be tested by pace. Hopefully from a batting point of view, there’s some good tracks out here with true bounce. George Bailey played at Hampshire, and he said I’d enjoy batting out here. If you get yourself in, and get past the new ball, there’s runs to be scored.”Vince was one of several players whom the local media struggled to identify as they touched down at Perth on Sunday, but he’s confident that that lack of recognition for England’s players will quickly change when the Tests get underway.”We’re here to win, that’s the bottom line,” he said. “We feel like we’ve got a good squad and a great chance to win if we can play good cricket. Our preparation in the next three weeks will be important, if we can get that right it gives us a great chance.”I hope I can play a part in us winning the Ashes. There’s going to be tough times – a bit of pace maybe – but nothing we haven’t dealt with before and that we can’t deal with. We’re very confident with the group of guys we’ve got here that we can get a series win.”England are braced to begin the series without the services of Ben Stokes, who was withdrawn from the squad prior to their departure pending further investigation into his alleged actions in Bristol last month.”It’s disappointing but at the same time it gives other guys an opportunity to stand up and make a name for themselves,” Vince said.

After a quiet tour of England, the legspinner revelled in the added responsibility of spearheading West Indies’ attack with nine wickets in their 117-run win over Zimbabwe

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo24-Oct-2017After a quiet tour of England, Devendra Bishoo revelled in the added responsibility of spearheading West Indies’ attack with nine wickets in their 117-run win over Zimbabwe in the first Test at Queens Sports Club. Bishoo bowled just 42 overs across two Tests in England. Against Zimbabwe, he bowled 56 overs, and wrapped up the match with 4 for 105 on day four to win the Player-of-the-Match award.”After the first day, after seeing how Zimbabwe bowled, I knew I would have a big part to play in the Test match,” Bishoo said. “But it was important to be patient on this pitch, and stick to a plan.”Bishoo was made to work a little harder for his wickets in the second innings, with openers Hamilton Masakadza and Solomon Mire putting on a 99-run stand, and most of the top order displaying a willingness to put him off his lines with the sweep shot. Despite the added pressure from the batsmen, Bishoo stuck to the plan and wickets were the reward. “I don’t think that [batsmen using the sweep] changed my gameplan in any way,” he said. “As long as you have a plan and you stick to it, the wickets are going to come.”Bishoo insisted that West Indies were confident of batting themselves back into the game in the second innings even after being bowled out for 219 in the first innings. “Yeah, we know the capability of batsmen in our team,” he said. “We have Kraigg Brathwaite, who had a good series in England, Shai Hope had a good series in England, Roston Chase with runs in his last game against Zimbabwe A. Everyone believed in one another, and that’s one of the most important things about this group.”The team togetherness is very good. We’re very comfortable each other, we believe in each other, and I have no complaints.”In conditions very different from those faced in England, Bishoo found himself bowling with both the old and the new-ish ball, which presented its own challenges on a sluggish Queens Sports Club track.”As the ball got older, it was a bit harder to bowl with. As the shine came off it, it would spin, but spin slowly. It was a little bit more tough. From the 65th to 70th over onwards, it didn’t spin as much, and when it did it was with much less pace.”His bowling aside, Bishoo also had a job to do with the bat in this Test. He missed out on his maiden Test fifty, but added an invaluable 92 runs with Chase. “I knew that putting on a partnership with Roston would be very important,” he said. “I was disappointed to get out short of the fifty, but happy to have played a supporting role.”

Amanda-Jade Wellington has been retained as the only legspinner in the squad for the four-day Test, which starts from November 9

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2017Legspinner Kristen Beams has been omitted from the Australia squad for the day-night Women’s Ashes Test, which starts in Sydney from November 9, with the hosts picking Amanda-Jade Wellington as the sole legspinner in the 13-member squad. Beams’ exclusion was the only change from the 14-member team that won two of the three matches against England women in the preceding ODI series.

Australia Test squad:

Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (c), Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Beams, Australia’s highest wicket-taker at the Women’s World Cup earlier this year, was the 12th man in an Australian team that played a three-day pink-ball practice match against an ACT Invitational XI in Canberra recently. She had featured in only one match of the ODI series against England, taking 2 for 38 in the second match, after replacing Ashleigh Gardner, who had suffered a concussion. Another player from that practice match to miss out on the national squad was 19-year-old medium-pacer Belinda Vakarewa.National selector Shawn Flegler said both players were unfortunate to miss out on selection. “Belinda showed promising signs with the ball and is definitely a player of the future, and whilst she would be disappointed, it’s pleasing to see so many pace bowlers putting their hands up for selection. Kristen was also unlucky to miss out on selection, with the panel opting to go with just the one legspinner in the side.”Australia’s squad includes five players uncapped in Tests: Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Wellington, Beth Mooney and Lauren Cheatle. One of the pace bowlers who impressed in the practice match was McGrath – she dismissed Elyse Villani, Rachael Haynes and Ellyse Perry in the space of four balls on Sunday.”A win in this match could see Australia take an unassailable lead in the series and retain the Ashes, so it was important that the side was well-balanced and capable of taking 20 wickets,” Flegler added.Defending champions Australia lead the series 4-2, having defeated England in the first two fixtures of the ODI leg and a win in the Test would fetch them four points and take their tally to eight. The Test will be followed by a three-match T20I series, which starts from November 17. In the event of both teams finishing on eight points, Australia will retain the Ashes.