Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren and Brandon Glover have also been brought back into the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2022Roelof van der Merwe, Colin Ackermann, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren and Brandon Glover are all part of Netherlands’ 16-man squad for the men’s T20 World Cup, to be played in Australia in October-November.The six of them, among the country’s most well-travelled cricketers, were not in the 14-man squad that played Netherlands’ last T20I series, at home against New Zealand early last month. From that squad, Aryan Dutt, Clayton Floyd, Vivian Kingma and Ryan Klein have been omitted. The squad has experienced hands in Logan van Beek, Tom Cooper, Bas de Leede, Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, and will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Scott Edwards.

Netherlands T20 World Cup squad

IN: Colin Ackermann, Brandon Glover, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe
OUT: Aryan Dutt, Clayton Floyd, Vivian Kingma, Ryan Klein

“We have assembled a well-balanced squad with an exciting blend of youth and experience for the upcoming T20 World Cup,” Ryan Cook, the head coach, said in a statement. “The experience playing in the Super League [for qualification to the ODI World Cup] will stand the team in good stead and good confidence can be taken from these performances.”We will look to continue the progression that was evident through the summer into the tournament and have some quality preparation planned prior to the event which will help the readiness for the group in both skills and cohesion.”Netherlands qualified for the T20 World Cup – alongside Zimbabwe – after the T20 World Cup qualifier, played in Zimbabwe in July. They were most recently in action in the ODI World Cup Super League, which Cook mentioned, against Pakistan, at home in Rotterdam, but lost the three-match series 3-0.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Van der Merwe was most recently in action for Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred in England, but last played internationally all the way back in November 2021, in an ODI series on the tour of South Africa. His last T20I was in October 2021 during the last T20 World Cup in the UAE, where Netherlands lost all their first-round matches – to Sri Lanka, Namibia and Ireland – to exit the tournament early.Ackermann has also not played a T20I since that World Cup, though he did play ODI cricket for Netherlands as recently as in the series against Afghanistan in Qatar in January this year.While Klaassen, van Meekeren and Glover were all in action at the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, van der Gugten missed that tournament. He has, however, been in action for Glamorgan in the county circuit, and also played one match for Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred.In the opening round of the T20 World Cup, Netherlands will take on Namibia, Sri Lanka and UAE in Geelong.

New Zealand’s middle-order staged a fightback but they fell short in the end

Andrew McGlashan11-Sep-20221:05

Finch: My body, and form, wouldn’t have made it till the 2023 World Cup

There was no fairytale finish with the bat for Aaron Finch but he was able to sign off his ODI career with hard-earned 25-run victory as Steven Smith, who will be a contender to be the new 50-over captain, compiled a superb hundred and Australia’s bowlers did enough to repel a spirited effort from New Zealand’s middle order.At 112 for 5 chasing 268, after another difficult innings for Kane Williamson, Australia were comfortable favourites but the recalled Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santner revived hopes. However, with the target coming within sight, Phillips was caught centimeters from the fine-leg rope by Sean Abbott, who with ball in hand then had Santner caught at long-off.Smith produced the standout performance with a perfect example of how to overcome tricky new-ball conditions then move through the gears. His 12th ODI century came from 127 deliveries, the slowest of his career, but his second fifty took just 46 balls. It was the first century made in this run of six ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand. In total, the last 20 overs of Australia’s innings brought 161 runs.Shortly before play started there was a minute’s silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II and the players wore black armbands.Finch announced his ODI retirement yesterday and his final innings came early in the game after Australia were asked to bat. He was given a guard of honour to the middle by New Zealand, and offered a warm handshake by Williamson, then his off-the-mark single was greeted by applause from the weekend crowd. But there would not be a grand sign-off, as he was worked over by some classy swing bowling from Tim Southee who brought one back through the gate to seal a not unfamiliar dismissal.By then, Australia were already two down with Josh Inglis, recalled to replace the rested David Warner, edging a half-hearted drive against Trent Boult whose outstanding series continued with an opening spell of 6-3-7-1. Smith and Marnus Labuschagne focused purely on survival for a significant period: after 10 overs Australia were 19 for 2 – there were three consecutive maidens from overs seven to nine – and after 15 overs it was 29 for 2.Steven Smith brought up his 12th ODI century•Getty Images

Steadily, though, the pair started to build. Smith pierced the off side with a cover drive off Lockie Ferguson for his first boundary then consecutive fours followed against Neesham. Labuschagne did not find the boundary until his 62nd delivery. Australia’s century came up in the 30th over and also marked a clear shift in tempo, especially from Smith. He launched Southee down the ground to reach fifty and Labuschagne brought up his half-century from 75 balls but could not go much further when he spliced a slower ball from Ferguson to mid-on to end a stand of 118.Smith and Alex Carey added 69 in 10 overs, with the former dominant. Smith showed his game awareness when he swung Neesham over the leg side for six but noticed New Zealand had too many fielders outside the ring and was signalling the free hit the moment the ball left his bat. His innings ended when he gave himself room against Santner and was bowled. Glenn Maxwell’s stay was brief and Carey could not quite cut loose, but Green helped add the finishing touches with two sixes in his 12-ball 25.Given how the first two games went, it looked a steep chase. A positive opening stand of 49 was broken when Devon Conway drove to backward point where Smith took a low catch. Conway stood his ground but the third umpire ruled the fingers were under the ball. Finn Allen sent Adam Zampa into the sightscreen before his encouraging innings ended when he chipped to mid-on.The stumps are splattered by Alex Carey, as a dive back can’t save Tom Latham•Getty Images

The innings then started to seize up in a fashion similar to the second game with Abbott again stringing together maidens. Tom Latham was stumped as the ball deflected off his pads back to Carey and Daryl Mitchell top-edged into the off side. Williamson soaked up 56 balls for his 27, finding the boundary just once, before an awful mix-up with Phillips left a frustrated captain walking off.However, Phillips and Neesham played sensibly in the face of a climbing asking rate. Phillips produced some stunning strokes over the off side, headlined by a back-foot drive for six against Starc, and though Neesham picked out long-on – Green producing a clever change of pace – Santner kept the target in sight.It got to 46 needed off 30 which, if not quite in New Zealand’s favour due to the loss of wickets, was a very close game. But the visitors could not get it done. Phillips was inches from clearing deep square, where Abbott tip-toed inside the rope, and in the end the game finished with a lot of fruitless swinging from the fast bowlers. New Zealand did not make a half-century in the series.The victory gave Australia the Chappell-Hadlee series 3-0, although when the trophy is played for again remains uncertain. The two sides are not due to meet in an ODI series under the next FTP running till 2027. New Zealand will now hope they can end their wait for a win against Australia on their soil, dating back to 2011, when they contest the T20 World Cup meeting on October 22.

Dom Bess 79* in vain as Yorkshire Division One fate remains in balance

David Hopps28-Sep-2022The future has been confirmed: Shan Masood, the Pakistan batter shrewdly pilfered from Derbyshire, will captain Yorkshire in all formats in 2023. Masood brings hopes of a new beginning – and it needs to start as soon as possible. But, for the moment, the story at Headingley was of fear: fear of the present, fear of the future. And of a departing captain, much respected, who appeared to represent a bygone era.The majority of Yorkshire members who assembled in the Long Room before start of play at Headingley were of identical mind on the two great issues of the day: the Strauss Review should be consigned to the waste bin and Yorkshire had no chance of beating Gloucestershire to secure their place in Division One next season.Their view on the Strauss Review, which seeks a drastic reduction in the amount of county cricket, was voiced in no uncertain terms in a Members Forum as they gained assurances from the acting chief executive, Andy Dawson, that an EGM would be called as appropriate and that the vote would be binding. The members’ revolt around the country appears to be taking effect – although in Yorkshire’s case there may still be one or two complications ahead.They would be less thrilled that their pessimism about Yorkshire also proved well founded. Beaten by Gloucestershire by 18 runs after being dismissed late on the third day for 222, they have finished the season with six defeats in eight and will be relegated if Warwickshire, currently second bottom, fashion an unlikely victory against Hampshire at Edgbaston on the final day, so finishing above Yorkshire.For a while, though, as floodlights cut through thr early-evening gloom, a Yorkshire crowd surrendered to romance. By tradition, birthday flowers might still be hidden in shopping bags, or under overcoats, but invited to imagine that their 37-year-old former captain, Steven Patterson, would come in at No. 11 in the last innings of his career, and share in a match-winning last-wicket stand of 50, and they flirted with the notion with fluttering hearts.With every over blocked, poker faced, from the left-arm spinner, Zafar Gohar, they first applauded and then cheered. Patterson’s stumps were constantly imperilled, but the crowd was dancing to the fantasy. There were no whoops, to be fair, but this is Headingley after all. There is a place for whoops and it is several thousand miles west. Dom Bess, in perhaps his best innings for Yorkshire, picked off boundaries with some serene drives as the light began to fail. Surely, they would not have to come back in the morning?Then Gloucestershire removed Gohar from the attack and opted for pace at both ends. Patterson had nought from 26 balls, but his eyes lit up at a short, wide one from David Payne. He made good contact, but picked out Chris Dent at backward point. Bess was left stranded with an unbeaten 79 from 103 balls. Patterson had to make do with his third standing ovation of the day. Yorkshire had six defeats in eight, their only win coming against Gloucestershire in their opening game. This has been no summer for romance.Masood brings hope of success on the field and unity off it. It takes talent to heal breaches and the breaches could not be deeper.Ottis Gibson, the coach who dared to accept a hospital pass as Yorkshire began to rebuild after Azeem Rafiq’s racism allegations, knows the truth. “With one day to go, we hope things go our way in Birmingham, but you ask yourself the question, ‘Do we deserve that bit of luck from Birmingham?’ If we end up in the second division, it’s our own fault. We can’t blame any other factors.”The conversations we’ve had with Shan is that he is going to be club captain going forwards. The players know that. He will bring his own style of leadership.”Gloucestershire will still finish bottom, but they will find consolation over the winter that they have finished the season with back-to-back wins against the two counties who still fear they might be relegated alongside them.It was a difficult, but far from impossible Yorkshire chase, 241 on a sluggish surface allowing a degree of turn and seam, but Gloucestershire took a stranglehold from the moment Adam Lyth was sixth out at 119, deflecting to first slip off the shoulder of the bat after Pakistan left-arm spinner Gohar reared a delivery out of the rough. Gohar’s 4 for 69 gave him figures of 9 for 109 in the match.Lyth’s 49 was his second responsible innings of the match, and he watched most of his batting partners depart with the removal of his helmet and a crestfallen sweep of his hand over the most recognisable shiny pate in the game.Yorkshire would have been reasonably content at the way they polished off Gloucestershire’s last four wickets. They brought a further 29 runs, including Ollie Price, whose 68 ended when he chopped on against George Hill. Hill has been one of Yorkshire’s bright spots this season, arguably their Championship player of the year if you are minded to overlook Harry Brook’s excellent summer before England came a-calling. As for Patterson, an lbw decision against Gohar gave him his 489th and final first-class wicket.Yorkshire lost James Wharton to the fourth ball of the innings to a square drive off one knee against Tom Price’s inswinger, which he deflected onto his stumps. Lyth kept his helmet on for that one, and just rescratched his crease mournfully. Further damage against the new ball was averted and Yorkshire looked well set at 69 for 1, at which point Ajeet Singh Dale’s inswinger beat Hill’s drive.Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s Yorkshire farewell has been a skittish affair. His father, a dressing room attendant, walked out after the mass sacking of 14 employees in response to Rafiq’s racism allegations, and his departure for Somerset was confirmed in June. He did not appear to be overly restricted by fears of relegation: in the first innings, he holed out against Gohar’s first ball; this time he met the first five with diligent defence before slicing a lofted straight hit to long-off from the last ball of the over.Lyth’s helmet removal was accompanied by a Paddington stare. The crowd’s stony silence was meaningful enough, but somebody offered an opinion and Kohler-Cadmore was provoked into a reaction. He was fortunate that he wasn’t booed off. Unlike Patterson, his Yorkshire career had ended badly and one day he might even understand why.Payne added to Yorkshire’s plight, bowling both Jonny Tattersall and Harry Duke, the latter falling to an under-edge as he attempted a leave-alone. Jordan Thompson, who has allrounder status, made his first double-figure score in 12 innings, a run stretching back to mid-June before he turned Gohar to leg slip. The time had come for Bess to carry the fight and he did so in excellent fashion. But the Yorkshire dream never materialised and all eyes will be on Edgbaston on Thursday.

With a tough away series in India to follow, it is crucial for Australia to maximise their points in their home series this summer

Alex Malcolm29-Nov-20221:16

Usman Khawaja focused on West Indies first

When Australia won the T20 World Cup in 2021, there was feeling that they had finally secured that one global trophy that had long eluded them. But the reality is there is another trophy, albeit newly created, that quite literally slipped through their fingers in 2021.Australia missed the 2021 World Test Championship final because they were docked points for slow over-rates. Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, admitted on the eve of the first home Test of a new summer – and the first of nine Test matches leading into the 2023 WTC final – that his side didn’t realise what they had missed out on at the time.”I think being new, it probably didn’t hit us until the game was actually played and you saw over there New Zealand did well and you wish you were there,” Cummins said on Tuesday in Perth. “So it feels like second time around it’s got a little bit more on it. It felt like a big missed opportunity that first one. So it certainly gives a bit more context to every series now, something big to play for.”While there is a general malaise about Australian men’s cricket right now for a variety of reasons, with fears the Perth public are unlikely to turn out in droves to watch the first Test played in this city since 2019, every Test match has meaning now for this Australian team.Related

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“The big series, say Ashes or India series where you play four or five Test matches are obviously big battles, whereas the more common series where you play two or three in a series, it gives them a bit more global context and something a bit extra to play for,” Cummins said.The Australian public may not fully realise it, still yearning for a clash with the West Indies of old, but this two-Test series has a lot riding on it. Australia currently leads the World Test Championship table and are in pole position to make the final in England next year.For the first time too, Cummins and a few of his teammates have begun talking about the significance of the next eight months of Test cricket for a group of players that are closing in on the end of their Test careers.It could be the last shot at Test Championship glory for this group of seniors•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

David Warner, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood are all in their 30s, with Warner, Khawaja and Lyon on the other side of 35, having formed the backbone of the Australian Test side over the past 10 years. Alex Carey and Marcus Harris, who are also in the squad, are also 30 plus, while Cummins will be 30 in May next year.Warner has already hinted this could be his final 12 months in Test cricket, although he walked those quotes back in the lead-up to the Test in Perth, while Khawaja admitted the team would head into a transition phase sooner rather than later, something Cummins hoped would be later but confirmed was on the horizon.”In the next six or seven months we have got 15 Test matches, hopefully, there won’t be any turnover before that but of course, it is coming,” Cummins said. “To be honest it is the most stable team I have played in ever. You could probably have picked the side 12 months ago. I feel like we are in a good spot.”An eight-month stretch of Test cricket, featuring 15 Tests against West Indies and South Africa at home, India and England away, and the WTC final if they get there, is a golden opportunity for a group that hasn’t collected as many major Test trophies as perhaps their collective talent warrants, despite being ranked No.1 in the world at present. There is a sense that those 15 Tests could cement a legacy as a great Australian team.”I think it is such an exciting opportunity for our group, to play four of the biggest series you are ever going to play as an Aussie Test cricketer within six or seven months, that is a once a career opportunity,” Cummins said. “That’s all ahead of us, that’s exciting. Obviously, a home summer is always big, with a World Test Championship, that’s something big to play for. We get a few wins here it pretty much guarantees our spot in London. We have all come here fresh. We know it’s a big block of cricket and we are excited for it.”But they cannot afford any slip-ups as they did in 2021. They have already let moments slip in Test cricket this year that could have put them in an even stronger position on the WTC table. They failed to close out the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney in January, as England survived nine-down, and did likewise in Karachi in March when they dropped a number of catches as Pakistan survived 171.4 overs in the fourth innings. They also lost by an innings in Galle, having been 204 for 2 on day one against Sri Lanka after winning the toss.Anything short of winning all five Tests at home this summer against West Indies and South Africa could leave them vulnerable to missing the WTC final again, given they have a tough four-Test tour of India to negotiate in February and March, having won only one Test there in 14 since the 2004 series triumph.Neither opponent at home will be easy to navigate, with West Indies undefeated in Test cricket in 2022 while South Africa sits second on the WTC table despite losing their last two Tests in England midyear.Australia are acutely aware of the opportunity that presents itself. They now must take it with both hands.

Coach plays down own role in series marked by superb tactics and man-management

Andrew Miller20-Dec-2022Brendon McCullum, England’s Test coach, says it is “scary” to think how good a leader Ben Stokes could become after his transformative influence in the year just gone, having secured a historic 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan with a ninth Test victory in the space of ten games.Speaking to Sky Sports in Karachi, in the aftermath of England’s eight-wicket win in the third and final Test, McCullum played down his own crucial role in the team’s rise from the ruin of last winter’s Ashes, stating bluntly that he does “bugger all” behind the scenes. Instead, he lavished praise on his captain, for his work both on and off the field.”The skipper was absolutely magnificent right throughout the series,” McCullum said. “Not just on the field, where everyone sees the decisions he makes and the strings he pulls, but it’s his man-management and his ability to get the very best out of each member of the side, off the field, which is the most impressive part from our point of view.”It’s the captain’s mantra, this side is very much in the image of the skipper,” McCullum added. “And Stokesy wants the guys to go out there and play with the most amount of freedom that they can.”He’s got the benefit of a long and distinguished career behind him, and he’s in that stage of his life where he wants to do something significant and make a real impact, not just on the game but on other people’s careers. He’s identified that taking away that pressure and that fear of failure allows the talent and the skill to come out.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Stokes himself was at the crease on the final day, finishing 35 not out in England’s pursuit of 167 for their clean sweep. But it was England’s efforts on the very first day of the tour, in Rawalpindi, that set the team on course for history, as they racked up a remarkable 506 for 4 in 75 overs, including four centuries from Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, the eventual Player of the Series.”That was more than I thought we were going to make, to be honest,” McCullum said. “The way that Crawley and Duckett started for us in that Test match, it really laid a marker out for where this team wants to be, and for how brave our cricket needs to be as well.”It was about playing the role that the team needs you to play, rather than getting too caught up in your own stuff, and it was a huge day that allowed us to try and force a result. Maybe the series would have been different if we hadn’t have gone down that route.”The defining aspect of England’s wins, however, was ultimately their ability to prise out 20 wickets in a Test, with a range of different tactics and personnel coming to the fore, from the part-time spin of Will Jacks and the skilful use of reverse swing in Rawalpindi, to Jack Leach’s first-innings four-for and the decisive pace onslaught of Mark Wood in Multan, and ultimately to the remarkable emergence of the legspinner Rehan Ahmed with his debut five-for in Karachi.”It’s a great achievement,” McCullum said. “If you look at the whole six or seven months, we’ve taken 20 wickets in a Test on nine out of 10 occasions. So it’s one thing scoring fast and putting teams under pressure with the bat, but you got to be able to bowl teams out as well.”And the mantra within the group is ‘how do we take wickets?’ Every time we’ve got the ball in our hand, ‘how are we going to try and get this guy out?’ If you go for runs, you go for runs, but we back ourselves that will chase those runs down later on. I think once you have that mindset, you free yourself up from having to worry about runs. It allows you to look at things with a positive mantra.”Related

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Stokes’ field placings were eye-catching throughout the tour, but they had to be too, with not a single traditional slip catch off the seamers all series long. Instead, he backed his bowlers with leg slips for the short ball into the ribs, and close catchers in the eyeline to capitalise on mistimed drives, a process that Stokes himself admitted had been entirely down to instinct, rather than pre-set plans.”A lot of my decisions were based on what I thought was the best option at any given time,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “I feel as if out here is probably the easiest conditions to mess around with a few different things. You don’t have to have a slip because it’s not going to go to slip in three games for us. So you use that slip somewhere else, maybe to visually upset the batsman.”Watching on from the dressing-room, McCullum was impressed. “The skipper never lets the game drift,” he said. “He’s always got something happening. He’s always pulling a string somewhere and the guys follow him. It’s a great combination to have, and it makes it pretty easy when you’re watching from up in the coach’s box.”There’s maverick in it and genius in a lot of it,” he added. “He’s just got an insatiable appetite to keep moving the game forward, which is super-impressive. But for me, it’s the man management, it’s the consistency of message, it’s the pure passion and drive that he’s got to make a significant difference in Test cricket, and English cricket, which is most impressive.”So I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve taken over this job when Stokesy has got the reins, and I think he’s only going to get better and better and better, which is quite scary. Because if he continues to improve and drive this team forward then, with the talent that sits within the dressing room, they will give it a good shake anyway.”I don’t do bugger all, to be honest,” McCullum joked. “I just make sure that the guys remain consistent with their own beliefs, and that they all want to be the best version of themselves. To be honest, it’s a really easy job … don’t tell my bosses. But I’m really enjoying myself, and I couldn’t I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.”Looking on from the Sky Sports studio, however, Stuart Broad gave a more nuanced assessment of McCullum’s under-stated influence in the dressing-room.”I’ve not seen him throw many balls, I’ve not seen him talk technically to anybody, but you watch every training session, he walks around and speaks to every single player,” Broad said. “Just checking in and seeing how they are, seeing what their mindset’s like, making sure they are taking the options that are right for the mantra of the team. He’s an incredible man-manager.”

Mumbai captain also wants points docked for slow over rates instead of just financial penalties

Shashank Kishore28-Jan-2023Ajinkya Rahane has called for games in the group stages of the Ranji Trophy to be played over five days. At the moment, only the quarter-finals onwards are held over five days, with group-stage games lasting four days each.Rahane was speaking after Mumbai’s group-stage exit from the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy. Needing just a first-innings lead to qualify, Mumbai tied their first-innings score with Maharashtra late on the third day. This left them needing to force an outright win on the fourth and final day. Having then bowled out Maharashtra midway through the final day, they needed 253 in 28 overs. Mumbai made a good fist of the target, but were 58 short of victory when they ran out of time.”First-class cricket can become five-day cricket,” Rahane said after Mumbai’s draw against Maharashtra. “We play Test matches over five days and in five days the possibility of a result is almost guaranteed. You will get more results. Every game should be result-oriented.”In four-day games, on flat decks, you don’t really get results. We tried to get as many results as possible, but it becomes challenging. In five-day cricket, that will happen more frequently. I don’t know how it can be fit into the calendar, but five-day cricket will make domestic cricketers get used to the rigours of first-class cricket.”Rahane said stretching games by three sessions would sharpen players’ survival instincts, which could make the transition to Test cricket smoother.”If you play out a session, you can save a match in four-day games, but if you are made to slog for three more sessions, it will give them a better opportunity to develop better Test cricketers,” he said. “It can automatically be carried forward into international cricket.”How to survive sessions, how to be disciplined with the ball, all these factors can be taken care of if we play all Ranji Trophy games over five days. Anyway, the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final are five-day games. If it’s implemented in the league [stage], nothing like that.”

Ajinkya Rahane calls for points penalty for slow over rates

Rahane also hoped the BCCI would consider bringing in a points penalty in place of the current fines for over-rate offences, which have seemingly become rampant among teams looking to either sit on first-innings leads or avoid defeat on the final day. Rahane will have an opportunity to bring up these points at the BCCI’s annual captains’ and coaches’ conclave that is held after every season.”Over rates are critical,” he said. “If you don’t fine teams with points for over rate, financial penalty doesn’t really matter. But if you cut a point for slow over rate, the teams will be aware about it because it will be critical for their qualification.”Ajinkya Rahane was Mumbai’s top scorer this Ranji Trophy season•PTI

Not currently part of India’s Test plans, Rahane featured in all of Mumbai’s group games. This was his first full Ranji Trophy season since 2010-11, the year he broke through for India in ODIs. He led Mumbai this season, and they finished fourth in their group with three wins, two losses and two draws. He topped the run charts for Mumbai, with 634 runs in 11 innings at an average of 57.63. This included two centuries (191 vs Assam, and 204 vs Hyderabad) and a half-century.Having had a ringside view of the competition, Rahane expressed satisfaction at the quality of cricket on offer, but also called for players across teams to shelve flamboyance for the hard grind when needed.”In four-day cricket, majority of teams have started losing their patience too early,” he observed. “Be it batting or bowling. Everyone wants to score runs quickly or pick up wickets. Instead, you should try and play out sessions or bowl a consistently good spell. A batter should enjoy defending, a bowler should enjoy bowling a maiden.”I have seen all the teams getting desperate for wickets, rather than waiting patiently with a plan. And no one tries to bat out a session, instead they want to score quickly. I feel the basics of playing out sessions is the key in four-day or five-day cricket.”

On Mumbai: ‘This bunch definitely takes red-ball cricket seriously’

There’s an old adage in Mumbai cricket that says, if the team doesn’t win the Ranji Trophy, it’s been an unsuccessful season. Reminded of this, Rahane expressed disappointment at not making it through to the knockouts but also pointed out that this was a young group of players hungry for first-class success.Among Mumbai’s batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan have made giant strides in red-ball cricket. Then there’s Prasad Pawar, who made a gritty century against Maharashtra to entertain prospects of a lead. Prithvi Shaw has been scoring runs on and off and was recently rewarded with a T20I call-up.”I am extremely disappointed that we could not qualify for the knockouts,” he said. “This bunch definitely takes red-ball cricket seriously. And my message to everyone is you should enjoy four-day cricket. Everyone wants instant success but patience, focus and determination is critical for this format.”Not only on the field but the daily routine that we follow – getting up early, the warm-ups, going through the rigour even if you haven’t performed, to be disciplined all through four days, backing your team-mates – one has to enjoy all these aspects. Only scoring runs or picking up wickets is not important. That’s temporary but the real fun is when you follow the process day in and day out.”Even if things don’t go your way in two-three games. There are many boys who enjoy going through it in the red-ball format. And I have told all of them that you have to enjoy every moment because this is real cricket.”

Ryan Burl led the way with 3 for 29 as Ireland were bowled out for 114, a total Zimbabwe chased down in 18 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2023Zimbabwe 118 for 5 (Williams 34*, Ballance 30, Tector 2-17) beat Ireland 114 (Delany 24, Burl 3-29, Masakadza 2-13) by five wicketsGary Ballance, playing his first game – and first ever T20I – for his country of birth, marked his Zimbabwe debut with a five-wicket victory against Ireland. Ballance, who had previously played 39 international matches for England, scored 30 off 29 balls, as the hosts chased down 115 with two overs to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Part-time offspinner Harry Tector surprisingly opened the bowling in Ireland’s defence, having Craig Ervine dropped first ball as Gareth Delany put down a sitter at cover. But Ervine fell only five deliveries later, when he miscued a loft over mid-off to give Tector his first wicket. Two balls later, Mark Adair trapped Tadiwanashe Marumani to leave Zimbabwe on 8 for 2, before Ballance and Wessly Madhevere steadied the innings.They calmly added 35, with Tector cleaning Madhevere up with one that turned in very slightly in the eighth over. By then, Ballance had settled down to go at an easy pace, adding another 28 with Sean Williams, who remained unbeaten on 34. Williams saw the chase through along with Clive Madande, who smashed a quickfire 18.Earlier, only three Ireland batters managed to get into double figures, with Delany’s 24 from No. 8 being the highest contribution in their total of 114. They were 74 for 8 the 15th over, when Delany added 31 – the most for any wicket on the day for the visitors – with Fionn Hand. There were combined contributions from all of Zimbabwe’s bowlers, as Player of the Match Ryan Burl led the way with 3 for 29.Debutant wicketkeeper-batter Stephen Doheny briefly sparkled with 15 from 13 balls, as Burl and Wellington Masakadza, who finished with 2 for 13, ran through Ireland’s middle order. Tendai Chatara and Richard Ngarava also bagged two wickets each, as the Ireland innings ended when Ervine pouched a spectacular catch leaping at extra cover.

“It always takes an individual to do something special to get the team back on track,” Australia coach says of Nathan Lyon’s eight-for in Indore

Andrew McGlashan04-Mar-20232:19

Chappell: Getting India out cheaply in the first innings was key

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes the team’s success in the Indore Test shows there is a core group of players who are learning what it takes to win in the subcontinent and can set the side up for greater success in the future.”One hour of chaos” in Delhi, as McDonald termed it, cost Australia the chance of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but having taken the opportunity to refresh and regroup during the long break before the third Test, they secured one of their finest overseas victories as they beat India at their own game on a pitch rated “poor” by the ICC.As a result, Australia have secured their place in the World Test Championship final, during a cycle that has also included Test wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and they now have the chance of levelling the series in Ahmedabad.Related

• Head's learnings: back your plans and stay calm

• Adaptable Australia get their act together in Indore

• India may not mind more turning pitches despite loss

They don’t head back to India for another Test series until 2027 and a number of a senior players are unlikely to return, but they will visit Sri Lanka in 2025 and the likes of Travis Head, Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne and Todd Murphy have many subcontinent tours ahead of them.”Usman Khawaja’s performances here are probably tied back to his first experience in the subcontinent, Steve Smith as well,” McDonald said. “Everyone’s journey starts at some point in time on the subcontinent, and I think there’s a core group of players that will come back here more experienced and, in theory, better equipped for the challenges. We’re talking about a series here where we’ve had certain conditions that probably aren’t relatable to any other subcontinent tour over time, so it’s always a different challenge when you do arrive here.”

Australia keep calm after another collapse

Australia did suffer another batting collapse in Indore, losing 6 for 11 on the second day to miss the chance to build an overwhelming lead. But they retained their composure and, led by Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets, kept the pressure on India before making a target of 76 appear simpler than appeared likely.”You have almost got to be near perfect against India in India. I think this game besides that 6 for 11 was near perfect,” McDonald said. “We had a little bit of luck. Marnus getting bowled off a no-ball, how critical was that at that point in time, [and] that allowed a partnership to flourish. We took our opportunities as well. Usman’s flying catch and then Smudge [Smith] winding back the clock with that one at leg slip. You compare that to the Delhi game where Smudge dropped one at first slip and then we dropped one at leg slip in Matthew Renshaw, and they were critical.”We had one hour of chaos there and that cost us that Test match when we’d played pretty good cricket. We came here and doubled down on what we’d set out to achieve at the start of the tour.”So on the back of Delhi, it was ‘how clear are we going to be in what we need to do next’. Is this team good enough? Yes. What do we need to do next? We’d lost 6 for 11, nothing we can do about that. We go out there and Nathan Lyon as the experienced spinner delivers one of his best performances. It always takes an individual to do something special to get the team back on track, no doubt about that.”Alex Carey whips the bails off to send Rohit Sharma back in the first innings•BCCI

Praise for Alex Carey’s wicketkeeping

Amid the headline-grabbing performances of Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann, Khawaja and Head, McDonald picked out Alex Carey for special praise after his display of wicketkeeping on the devilish surface. He only conceded three byes for the match where some deliveries leapt while others scuttled and McDonald viewed his stumping of Rohit Sharma, the first wicket of the Test, as a vital moment.”One part that hasn’t been spoken about enough is Alex Carey’s keeping,” he said. “I think that on day one, that ball to Sharma, that high take, that stumping, if he doesn’t execute that Sharma gets a look at the wicket, he plays differently and the game rolls in a different direction.”I think sometimes we are quick to criticise wicketkeepers. In this instance, I thought that day one was an absolute clinic and gave us control of the game. We saw [KS] Bharat miss a couple of half-chances, or get his leg in the way of balls that could have gone to first slip. So I thought that was a key moment in the game.””I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant”•Getty Images

Pitches make the toss irrelevant

McDonald remained diplomatic about the pitch in Indore, saying that all the players could do was perform on whatever surface they were given, but did say conditions had been “extreme”. However, as in Pune in 2017, it likely helped narrow the gap between the teams.”I think you can see that in the fact that all three games have been won against the toss, teams batting first have lost, and that’s rare,” he said. “It’s usually pretty hard to win against the toss but here we’ve seen three matches go that way. I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant.”Before the third Test, Rohit had floated the notion of India asking for a green pitch in Ahmedabad if they had secured their place in the WTC final. Now they still require a victory to be assured of meeting Australia at The Oval, although if Sri Lanka don’t win against New Zealand in the Test that runs concurrently in Christchurch, the result won’t matter. Regardless, McDonald felt the pressure in the series has now been switched.”I don’t think we know what we’re going to get in Ahmedabad, I don’t think anyone does,” he said with a hint of a smile. “But we’ve definitely put some pressure into that change room. Full credit to the guys. [It’s] great reward for a group that over the past couple of weeks have had their challenges.”

Bell twice on a hat-trick as she and England team-mate claim seven wickets between them

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2023Lauren Bell took 4 for 37 as the Southern Vipers routed the South East Stars by 158 runs in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham.Bell was twice on a hat-trick as she wiped out the Stars’ top order, before Charlie Dean then took 3 for 18 to bowl the hosts out for 129.Earlier Ella McCaughan hit 67 and Maia Bouchier 59 in an opening stand of 117, before Georgia Elwiss came in and made 59 to set a stiff-looking 287 for 6.Alice Davidson-Richards had the best figures of the Stars’ nine bowlers with 2 for 30, but it was a chastening afternoon for the home side after last week’s emphatic 131-run win at the Thunder.The Stars had lost all six of their previous 50-over games with the Vipers, including last September’s Eliminator at Beckenham, but any hopes their opponents might still be reeling from last Saturday’s shock defeat to the Sunrisers were ephemeral.The Vipers chose to bat and took full advantage of both a benign wicket and a sub-optimal display by the Stars with the ball, which included 27 wides. They offered few chances and when they did the hosts couldn’t take them.Bouchier was on 42 when she pulled Alexa Stonehouse to mid-wicket and was dropped, while McCaughan survived a difficult stumping chance off Bryony Smith when on 34.Paige Scholfield finally broke the partnership when she bowled Bouchier, who played on and Scholfield then caught McCaughan off Ryana MacDonald-Gay in the covers.Davidson-Richards was the ninth bowler the Stars used, but she struck in her first over when she had Danni Wyatt caught at backward point by MacDonald-Gay for 22.At that point the Vipers were 170 for 3, which was the closest they came to a wobble. Elwiss and Adams responded with a stand of 76, the latter bringing up the 50 partnership with a six off Tash Farrant.Farrant subsequently had Adams lbw for 31 and Dean made four when she chipped Freya Davies to Phoebe Franklin, before Elwiss hit the penultimate ball of the innings, from Davidson-Richards to Smith on the mid-on boundary.The Stars made a bright start to the chase, racing to 26 without loss, only for Bell to strike twice in as many balls. She hit the top off Alice Capsey’s off stump to bowl her for 18 before getting MacDonald-Gay lbw for a golden duck.Smith flicked the hat-trick ball to square leg for two but was out in Bell’s next over, the victim of a brilliant tumbling catch by Dean at extra-cover for 7.Bell found herself on a hat-trick for the second time in the match when Davidson-Richards edged her to Bouchier in the slips but Kira Chatli blocked her next delivery. It was a short-lived reprieve for Chatli, who was caught by Linsey Smith for 20 off Alice Monaghan.Scholfield and Farrant hung around for a while but the former was bowled by Adams 31 and Dean then began to mop up the tail.The end was nigh when she beat Farrant in the flight for 21, beating her in the flight and bowling her leg stump. She then had Alexa Stonehouse caught by Adams for a duck and Franklin snared by McCaughan for nine and the victory was sealed when Freya Davies holed out to Monaghan and was caught by a diving Adams at long off.

He will lead a side with Buttler, who will join on June 1 and play ten group games plus any knockout fixture

Matt Roller24-May-2023Liam Livingstone will captain Lancashire in the 2023 T20 Blast – with his England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler in the ranks for the majority of the season.Livingstone spent a single season as Lancashire’s all-format club captain as a 24-year-old in 2018 but stepped down after struggling for form as the club were relegated from Division One of the County Championship.”I think I was a very different person and player back then,” Livingstone told LancsTV. “I think my experience around the world over the last couple of years will obviously make things a little bit different for me, and we’ve got a lot of players to bounce ideas off so it certainly won’t just be me making all the decisions.”We’ve got a really good squad. I don’t think it’s too difficult a job: we’ve got a lot of experience, we’ve got more experience coming back in – hopefully Jos in the next couple of games. I don’t think it’s a difficult task. We’ve got a lot of people to bounce ideas off and hopefully the team should pretty much captain itself anyway – it’s just a few decisions here and there.”Livingstone will deputise for club captain Keaton Jennings, who sustained a hamstring injury while playing in the Championship last month. “Handing Liam the reins for this summer’s Blast gives us some consistency and allows Keaton to focus fully on his recovery,” Glen Chapple, Lancashire’s head coach, said.Lancashire played in the opening game of the Blast season against Derbyshire on Saturday, winning by four wickets. They initially named Dane Vilas as captain when announcing their squad, but left Vilas out of the side altogether to accommodate Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomme as their two overseas players and were instead led by veteran batter Steven Croft.Buttler, Livingstone and Phil Salt all returned from the IPL this weekend but Buttler will take a short break before returning to the Lancashire set-up on June 1, when they play Yorkshire at Headingley. He is due to play 10 group games for Lancashire this season – more than he has managed across the last five years combined – as well as any knockout fixtures, having dropped out of England’s Test set-up and with no clash between the Blast and England’s white-ball fixtures this season.”I’m really looking forward to pulling on the Red Rose once again and representing Lancashire Lightning in this summer’s Vitality Blast,” Buttler said in a press release.”To have the opportunity to play so many matches in this year’s Blast is really exciting for me and it’s a chance to really help the team after coming so close in last year’s final.”Lancashire’s next Blast fixture is against Leicestershire on Thursday afternoon.