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Sutherland hundred sets up Australia but Ecclestone, Knight, Sciver-Brunt keep hosts in hunt

Valkerie Baynes23-Jun-2023Tammy Beaumont’s unbeaten century put England back in contention after Annabel Sutherland’s own hundred had put Australia on top in the Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.It had looked as though Sutherland would own the day with her unbeaten 137, the highest score by a batter at No. 8 or lower in a Women’s Test, having reached the fastest Test hundred by an Australian woman, off 148 balls. Australia’s 473 was the highest first innings in a women’s Test and came despite Sophie Ecclestone’s maiden Test five-wicket haul, a herculean effort which ended in her 47th over when she removed last wicket Darcie Brown.Sutherland also made an early breakthrough as Australia’s first-change bowler, after their new-ball pairing of Brown and Kim Garth had largely struggled for length and rhythm, an uncharacteristic rash of full tosses doing nothing to dent England’s efforts to overhaul their opponents.Beaumont, off the back of an unbeaten double-hundred in last week’s warm-up match, kept the hosts in the hunt with her 100 not out as she became just the second Englishwoman behind captain Heather Knight to score a century in all three formats. That she got there sprinting for a second run after clipping Sutherland towards square leg after spending a day and a half in the field only added to the magic of her innings. Knight contributed 57 to the cause as the pair put on 115 runs for the second wicket and Nat Sciver-Brunt cruised to a brisk 41 not out.While Brown and Garth were struggling to nail their lengths early, Beaumont edged Brown towards second slip where Phoebe Litchfield appeared to get a fingertip to a difficult chance, but otherwise accumulated nicely, punishing any bad balls to the boundary.Sutherland entered the attack in the 10th over and struck with her sixth ball, enticing a drive from Emma Lamb with a fuller ball on off stump which sailed to Jess Jonassen, who swallowed the catch low at second slip. She bowled 13 dot-balls before conceding any runs, Beaumont dispatching a full toss to the boundary through mid-on.Annabel Sutherland acknowledges the applause for her maiden Test hundred•Getty Images

Beaumont moved to her third Test fifty by pulling an Alana King delivery to the fence beyond deep midwicket and, two balls later, she swept her fine for another boundary, her 11th of the innings. Beaumont enjoyed a stroke of luck on 61 when umpire Anna Harris turned down Australia’s hearty appeal for a catch by Litchfield at short leg and the tourists declined to review, with replays showing Beaumont had struck King’s fuller ball onto her boot before it looped directly to Litchfield. Later, on 88, she just managed to evade Jonassen’s dive at slip.Knight unleashed a reverse-sweep for four against Ashleigh Gardner, brought on at the start of the last hour as Australia searched for a wicket, and she pierced the slips with a boundary off Garth to bring up her fourth Test fifty. Gardner finally lifted Australia when she removed Knight by enticing an edge with a fuller, slower delivery and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy did the rest.Earlier, Sutherland and King added 34 runs to Australia’s overnight 328 for 7 and extended their union to 47 before a Lauren Bell inswinger crashed into the top of King’s off stump. Ecclestone had earlier thought she had King out lbw with her third ball of the day but she survived on umpire’s call when England reviewed, with Hawk-Eye showing that the ball was just clipping leg stump.Sutherland expertly marshalled a 95-run partnership with Garth, the former Ireland international making her Test debut for Australia. She brought up Australia’s 400 and moved into the 90s with a punch to the boundary through extra cover off Ecclestone and, next over, she raised her century with a four through deep midwicket off Lauren Filer.Sutherland had entered the game off the back of a century in Australia’s three-day warm-up against England A and here she played with great tempo and poise, the only half-chance she offered came shortly after reaching her ton when she edged a Filer short ball outside off stump, which flew just beyond the grasp of a leaping Knight in the slips.Related

• Tammy Beaumont rides luck to realise her 2005 dream with Ashes Test ton

• Knight calls on batters to replicate 'outstanding' second day

• Alyssa Healy nervous but excited for 'most hyped Women's Ashes'

• Ellyse Perry's 99 sets the tempo for Australia as Lauren Filer cranks up the pace on debut

• Ellyse Perry: Getting out for 99 is a 'bummer' but life goes on

Australia’s ability to build partnerships was key to their innings with Sutherland also putting on 77 runs for the seventh wicket with Gardner, while Ellyse Perry, who fell on 99, shared a 119-run stand with Tahlia McGrath after adding 48 with Beth Mooney.After Bell’s initial breakthrough, England were frustrated. Down a seam-bowling option with Sciver-Brunt bowling just five overs the previous day because of an apparent knee complaint, debutant Filer couldn’t add to her two wickets of the previous day. It fell to Ecclestone, back into the action after bowling a mammoth 28 overs on the trot on Thursday, to eventually take the remaining wickets.When she beat the inside edge and rapped Garth on the back pad in her 45th over, there was no free-wheeling round the outfield. Instead she slumped, hands on knees as her team-mates ran to pat her on the back. Sutherland dispatched Ecclestone over deep midwicket for six but Ecclestone was able to muster enough sprightliness to snaffle a return catch off Brown to close out the innings and end her heroic toil with an exclamation mark.

Victoria are three down in their second innings, still 161 away from making WA bat again

Tristan Lavalette06-Oct-2023Stumps Aaron Hardie continued to elevate his standing with a strong all-round performance on day three as Western Australia closed in on victory against Victoria at the WACA.Trailing by 225 runs after the first innings, Victoria’s second innings started poorly when Will Pucovski edged Hardie to slip for a second ball duck.One-time Test opener Pucovski had batted through the first session on day one in his comeback after 12 months away from first-class cricket having fought battles with concussion and mental health. But he had no answer to blossoming allrounder Hardie, who took the new ball after having taken three wickets in Victoria’s first innings.Hardie, whose bowling loads were managed late last season, was unlucky not to add another during a menacing five-over opening burst.Victoria managed to put up some fight late in the day after spending 157 overs toiling in the field. But veteran opener Travis Dean, who top-scored in the first innings with 87, fell to offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli for 22 after sharing a half-century partnership with Campbell Kellaway.Kellaway, who played for Australia A recently, was dropped by Ashton Turner at slip off Rocchiccioli just before stumps, but he was caught behind later in the over for 33 to dent Victoria’s attempts to salvage a draw.In the morning, resuming at 237 for 2, trailing by 19 runs, WA eyed a big lead but opener Cameron Bancroft added just one run to his overnight score of 121. He was trapped lbw by Scott Boland, who struck in his second over after bowling 19 overs without reward on day two.But Hardie and Jayden Goodwin shared an 88-run partnership to frustrate Victoria and strengthen WA’s hold over their Shield opener.Hardie, who recently made his international debut, was in an aggressive mood and hit 48 to liven up a match that had crawled during a sedate day two. With national selector Tony Dodemaide in the terraces, Hardie quickly powered WA into the lead as Victoria’s strong attack toiled in sweltering conditions.Boland and skipper Will Sutherland produced typically lionhearted performances to finish with three wickets apiece, but offspinner Todd Murphy finished with just 1 for 141 off 32 overs.Victoria were unable to make inroads after ending Bancroft’s 319-ball knock, with Hardie and Goodwin batting through to lunch.Left-hand batter Jayden, the son of Murray Goodwin, who played 19 Tests and 71 ODIs for Zimbabwe, was rock solid in defence and picked off the bowling, occasionally showcasing aggression against Murphy.Goodwin played two Shield matches in November 2021, but hadn’t been sighted at this level until now. With WA missing several first-choice players, Goodwin seized his opportunity at No. 4 having replaced the injured Hilton Cartwright.After surviving a tricky period in the shadows late on day two, Goodwin passed his highest first-class score of 22 and his confidence grew alongside Hardie.Shortly after lunch, Goodwin, 21, reached his maiden half-century with a boundary off Sutherland before being reprieved next ball when Boland dropped a sitter at mid-on.The tireless Sutherland was finally rewarded when he dismissed Hardie and Goodwin in quick succession.But Victoria’s mood soured when Turner, who revived his first-class career with a century in last season’s Shield final, smashed 57 off 33 balls, including a straight six which lodged in a seat to stop play.Turner, the Perth Scorchers skipper, produced belligerent shots reminiscent of the BBL to thrill the smattering of fans, many of whom had sat through the dreary proceedings on day two.After the late strikes gave the hosts a stranglehold, WA’s faithful are bracing a season-opening victory.

Kieran Powell hit a second consecutive century and Alzarri Joseph took 6 for 31 as Leeward Islands completed a big win, while Kent registered a five-wicket win over Trinidad & Tobago

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2017Kieran Powell’s return to the West Indies professional circuit following a brief attempt at playing Major League Baseball continued to pay off for Leeward Islands. Powell struck a career-best 135, which was followed by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph’s 6 for 31 as they completed a 184-run victory over Windward Islands at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. It was Powell’s second List A century in the span of three days – and overall.Powell put on 97 for the opening wicket with Montcin Hodge (54) after losing the toss. He then dominated a 75-run stand for the second wicket with Jermaine Otto (21) before Windward captain Liam Sebastien (3-42) inflicted a mini-collapse. The offspinner took three wickets in consecutive overs as Leewards fell from 172 for 1 to 189 for 4. But his offspinning counterpart, Rahkeem Cornwall, then combined with Powell for a fifth-wicket stand of 99 from 91, and eventually took them to 333 for 6 with an unbeaten 70 off 58 balls.Windward could not establish a base to chase the score down as Joseph took two wickets each in consecutive overs, reducing them to 12 for 4. Darren Sammy (33), Kyle Mayers (45) and Shane Shillingford (27) made contributions from the lower-middle order, but were the only batsmen who got into double figures as Windward Islands folded for 149 at the start of the 29th over, with Joseph completing his maiden List A five-for to pick up the Player-of-the-Match award.A career-best 4 for 51 from medium-pacer Ivan Thomas helped Kent bowl out Trinidad & Tobago for 191, before a couple of half-century stands help them chase down the target with 95 balls to spare at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.T&T’s openers Evin Lewis and Kyle Hope put on 38 after they were put in, but were soon reduced to 43 for 3 as Darren Stevens (2-39) dismissed Kjorn Ottley and Jason Mohammed for ducks. Hope scored 43 off 83 as he steadied the innings with a 45-run stand with Roshon Primus, before the latter put on 65 with Nicholas Alexis (28). However, his dismissal for 60 brought another collapse – they fell from 153 for 4 to 157 for 8, with Thomas taking two of those wickets. A late alliance between Imran Khan (16) and Ravi Rampaul (13) took T&T to 191.Kent’s chase was led by Sean Dickson’s 56 and his opening stand of 85 with Daniel Bell-Drummond. Sam Northeast (31) then put on 66 with Stevens (43) to take them to 170 for 2, before Rampaul (3-46) took three wickets to reduce them to 176 for 5. The collapse was inconsequential as Alex Blake’s unbeaten 22 off 12 balls took them across the line with five wickets in hand.

Gloucestershire picked up their first Specsavers County Championship victory of the season by beating Leicestershire by an innings and six runs at The Brightside Ground in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network16-Apr-2017
ScorecardIt was a memorable match for Liam Norwell•Getty Images

Gloucestershire picked up their first Specsavers County Championship victory of the season by beating Leicestershire by an innings and six runs at The Brightside Ground in Bristol.Having scored 466 for 8 declared in their first innings, Phil Mustard’s side bowled out Leicestershire twice, inside two days, with Liam Norwell returning match-winning figures of 10 for 99.The win will certainly go some way towards softening the blow of last week’s heavy defeat at the hands of Kent. For Leicestershire, however, there is little or no consolation. That’s two chastening defeats in as many games.Resuming on 165 for 6 on day three, the visitors soon found themselves in trouble at the hands of Norwell, who bowled very well indeed from the Ashley Down End. The Dorset-born seamer sent back Clint McKay in the first over of the day to celebrate his 200th first-class wicket.To their credit, Ned Eckersley and Richard Jones proved what was capable with an ounce of application and a genuine appetite for the fight, as they added 89 for the eighth wicket. Unfortunately, for the visitors, it was never likely to be enough to help the Foxes avoid the follow on and subsequently, another disappointing loss.Eckersley led the way with 88 off 103 balls, having passed 50 off 66 deliveries. However, when he departed, bowled by Norwell, at 255 for 8, Leicestershire were still well short of their initial target of saving the follow on.Gavin Griffiths became Norwell’s fifth victim of the innings, four runs later, and with Colin Ackermann unable to bat after retiring hurt on day two, their innings came to a close on 259 for 9.Unfortunately for Leicestershire, whose second innings progressed to 6 for 0 at lunch, the afternoon session was every bit a disappointing. And it was that man Norwell who was once again responsible.Bowling in tandem with David Payne, Norwell ripped the heart out of Leicestershire’s top and middle order. After Payne had kicked off the session by having Paul Horton caught by wicketkeeper Mustard for 6, Norwell sent back Harry Dearden, Neil Dexter and Mark Pettini during a seven-over spell that saw him return the impressive figures of 3 for 19.When Payne added his second wicket, that of Mark Cosgrove at 51 for 5, the game looked as though it would be all over by tea.Thankfully, for Leicestershire, Eckersley knuckled down to the task in hand and added 86 with Ben Raine for the sixth wicket. Having helped himself to a first half century of the summer in the first innings, Eckersley was unbeaten on 53 at tea, having passed 50 off as many balls, with eight fours. The pair had looked in little trouble until Raine carelessly ran himself out for 42.McKay’s cameo – 29 off 39 deliveries – once again held up Gloucestershire. However, when Norwell had the Australian caught in the slips by George Hankins, shortly after tea, the end was nigh.Mustard picked up a wonderful catch to send back Richard Jones in Payne’s next over and though Eckersley batted beautifully for 85, he finally holed out to Jack Taylor on the point boundary off the bowling of Norwell. A fitting end for the bowler who deservedly received a standing ovation from those who saw it.

New Zealand will be buoyed by the return of Guptill from injury and the 2-1 T20I series win over India

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Napier12-Feb-20190:57

We have a point to prove against Bangladesh – Astle

Big picture

Bangladesh have never lost to New Zealand in ODIs at home since 2010 while New Zealand have never lost to Bangladesh at their backyard. In their previous ODI, at a neutral venue in Cardiff in 2017, Bangladesh stunned New Zealand with an epic come-from-behind win.

Watch NZ v Ban live

Followers in the United States can watch New Zealand v Bangladesh live on ESPN+

Ahead of the ODI series opener in Napier, many felt that this was Bangladesh’s best chance to win games in New Zealand. However, Shakib Al Hasan’s injury has created a gaping hole in the line-up.But nonetheless, it promises to be an exciting contest. New Zealand themselves have a few holes to plug after their 4-1 series defeat against India. The only game they won was when they bowled out India for 92 in Hamilton, but in the other four games they couldn’t sustain the pressure for longer periods.Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham were among the runs while Trent Boult and Matt Henry had one good outing each during the ODI series against India. The home side will also be buoyed by the 2-1 T20I series win over them.Tim Southee hasn’t found much swing in white-ball cricket, but New Zealand can fall back on the extra pace of Lockie Ferguson. How Bangladesh tackle New Zealand’s pace attack could have a big say in which way the series swings. If Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das can complement Tamim Iqbal, it will ease the pressure on Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah in the middle overs. Can Sabbir Rahman then fulfill his potential and finish the innings?Bangladesh pace attack, too, will have to step up. Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin will all have to play key roles, particularly in the slog overs. In the absence of Shakib, there is extra pressure on the inexperienced spinners Mehidy Hasan and Nayeem Hasan.

Form guide

New Zealand: LWLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: WLWWW

In the spotlight

Matt Henry‘s four-wicket haul in the last ODI against India could help him retain his spot for the series opener against Bangladesh, who haven’t been comfortable against rapid pace away from home.Soumya Sarkar‘s unbeaten 80 against West Indies, in Bangladesh’s last ODI in Sylhet, ensured that they won the series in style. Now, he has to adapt to quite different conditions as he looks to put behind a tough BPL campaign

Team news

Martin Guptill is fit again, and is set to open with Henry Nicholls. Colin Munro has been left out of the squad for the first two matches.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Todd Astle, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent BoultBangladesh may be tempted to bring in Mohammad Saifuddin instead of Rubel Hossain, particularly in Shakib’s absence.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Liton Das, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The home side will be wary of the Napier pitch, having been bowled out for 157 by India, in the previous game here last month. Weather-wise, it is likely to be a pleasant day in McLean Park.

Stats and Trivia

• Bangladesh have lost both their previous ODIs in Napier, by big margins, during the 2007 and 2010 tours.
• Ross Taylor is 109 runs short of becoming the second New Zealander to 8,000 ODI runs.

Quotes

“We know it is going to be difficult in New Zealand but we like being the underdog. I think New Zealand know they have to play very good cricket to beat us.”
“Bangladesh are a quality side and they showed it in the Champions Trophy when they beat us in that last game.”
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill

Two of cricket’s traditional rivalries will be on show in the 2017 Champions Trophy, with the hosts England and Australia being put in Group A, and India and Pakistan in Group B

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2016

Groups and schedule

• Group A: Australia (1), New Zealand (4), England (6) and Bangladesh (7)

• Group B: India (2), Pakistan (8), Sri Lanka (5) and South Africa (3)

• June 1 – Eng v Ban, The Oval

• June 2 – Aus v NZ, Edgbaston

• June 3 – SL v SA, The Oval

• June 4 – Ind v Pak, Edgbaston

• June 5 – Aus v Ban, The Oval

• June 6 – Eng v NZ, Cardiff

• June 7 – Pak v SA, Edgbaston

• June 8 – Ind v SL, The Oval

• June 9 – NZ v Ban, Cardiff

• June 10 – Eng v Aus, Edgbaston

• June 11 – Ind v SA, The Oval

• June 12 – SL v Pak, Cardiff

• June 14 – Semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff

• June 15 – Semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston

• June 18 – Final, The Oval

• June 19 – Reserve day

Two of cricket’s traditional rivalries will be on show in the 2017 Champions Trophy, with hosts England and Australia in Group A, and India and Pakistan in Group B. Group A also contains New Zealand, which means a trans-Tasman clash as well in the first round.The opening game of the tournament is between England and Bangladesh on June 1. Cardiff, The Oval and Edgbaston are the venues for the event, which comprises 15 matches in 18 days, with the final at The Oval on June 18.The ticket ballot opens on September 1 and closes on September 30. The remaining tickets will go on sale in October.The top eight sides in the ICC ODI rankings as of September 30, 2015 qualified for the event, with West Indies and Zimbabwe being the two Full Member countries that failed to make the cut. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the semi-finals in Cardiff and Edgbaston on June 14 and 15.India and Pakistan have met in the group stage of every ICC tournament – five of them – since the 2011 World Cup, where they had met in the semi-final. When asked if this was a coincidence, the ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said it wasn’t. “It’s no coincidence. The match schedule is done in consultation with the broadcasters. The bottom line is that a significant portion of the cricket world want to see that fixture. Time and time again, it is the biggest fixture in all our events. I don’t think it affects the competition’s integrity. Not as long as the groups are equal in strengths. It’s silly just to avoid it when you can fairly cater for it.”He added: “The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 is not just an ODI competition, it carries a great deal of value since it is being played just three months before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 qualification cut-off date. As such, every point earned here could be crucial.”England are hosting the Champions Trophy for the third time; they made the finals of both the previous tournaments at home, losing to West Indies in 2004 and to India in 2013.

New Hundred role will run concurrently with existing duties at Derbyshire

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2025Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, is set to combine his duties at the club with a new role as director of cricket at Northern Superchargers.Derbyshire finished rock-bottom of the County Championship in 2024, with one win in 14 matches in Division Two, and failed to reach the knock-outs in either the T20 Blast or the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.However, Arthur’s managerial experience, which includes a recent stint as Pakistan’s team director, has proven attractive to Superchargers, where he will work alongside the men’s and women’s head coaches, Andrew Flintoff and Lisa Keightley.He will advise the Hundred teams on recruitment and offer support to the head coaches, but Derbyshire insist his role at Superchargers will be “largely hands-off”. He will remain with the county during the Metro Bank One-Day Cup which runs concurrently to the Hundred.”Derbyshire remains my primary focus and I’m committed to achieving our goals of bringing success to the club,” Arthur said. “We encourage all of our players and coaches to develop their skills in new environments and this is another example of that.”As a club, our personnel are in demand and that’s a testament to the work being done behind the scenes, and we are confident results will soon come on-field.”Ryan Duckett, Derbyshire’s chief executive, added: “Mickey remains fully committed to Derbyshire, he lives and breathes the club and we hope that he can use this opportunity to showcase the quality Derbyshire has.”It’s been a positive winter, with Mickey, Wayne [Madsen] and Zak [Chappell] lifting silverware overseas, while Harry Moore and Pat Brown have represented us within the England setup recently.”Our squad has been working hard over the winter, and this will ramp up even further over the next couple of months to give us the best possible chance of success in 2025, with an exciting summer ahead.”

In his book, AB: The Autobiography, which launched in Johannesburg today, AB de Villers describes the 2015 World Cup semi-final defeat as the “greatest disappointment” of his cricket career

Firdose Moonda01-Sep-2016AB de Villiers regards the 2015 World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand as the “greatest disappointment” of his cricket career and believes there could have been “other considerations” in the selection of the XI that took the field for that match last March.The revelation that racial dynamics played a role in Vernon Philander being selected ahead of Kyle Abbott came in the aftermath of the tournament and was confirmed by CSA, who said transformation targets were part of pre-match discussions, but this is the first time any of the players involved in the match has spoken out.De Villers’ recollections of the events are published in his book, , which launched in Johannesburg today. The penultimate chapter, called “The Dream”, goes in-depth into the 2015 World Cup – revealing that South Africa kept a collective diary in which players made daily entries, and reiterating de Villiers’ conviction that South Africa could lift the trophy.Despite two losses in the group stage, South Africa advanced to the semi-final after achieving their first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match when they beat Sri Lanka in the quarterfinal in Sydney. De Villiers wrote that it was “generally assumed” the same team would play against New Zealand.That team included three players of colour in Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Imran Tahir. Throughout the tournament South Africa had played between three and five players of colour in their matches and had not received instruction on any specific number. At 5:30pm on the night before the semi-final, half an hour before South Africa’s team meeting, de Villiers got a call – he does not say from whom – to tell him that Philander had passed a fitness test earlier and would play instead of Abbott.While considering the reasons for the change in selection, de Villiers explains how he knew that an incumbent player who is injured “will automatically go back into the team when he returned to fitness”. Philander had spent some of the tournament on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, so if he was fully fit, it would be the norm to recall him. De Villiers also “sensed the selectors thought Vernon would thrive in New Zealand conditions”, given his ability to move the ball off the seam on tacky surfaces. All the same, it seemed to de Villiers that “there could have been other considerations”.In contemplating the possbility that there was a quota at play, de Villiers recalls the team’s understanding of the situation at that stage. “We had been assured that Cricket South Africa was the only national governing body in the country that had declined to set a target for the number of players of colour to be included in the national team but there was a delicate balance to be struck and it was generally understood that, as they chose the side, the national selectors would be conscious of providing opportunities for at least four players of colour.”So what had happened? Had Vernon, who was officially classified as coloured, been selected ahead of Kyle, who was officially white, to ensure there were four players of colour in the semi-final? Or had the decision been made for purely cricketing reasons?”De Villiers does not answer those questions himself. Instead, in the book, he details the effect it had on him.”It depressed me to think of my team-mates in these outdated racial terms,” he writes. “‘Would anyone really mind if there were three or four players of colour in our side?”At the team meeting, de Villiers did not address the issue either. He delivered a stirring speech using a line from a One Republic song to inspire the team: “We owe it to each other to promise each other that ‘with every broken bone’ we’re going to leave it out there tomorrow.”That night, coach Russell Domingo sent de Villiers a text “telling me how much the team needed my leadership” and former coach Gary Kirsten “also made contact, urging me to be calm and positive.” De Villiers did not sleep well, admitted he was “emotional” and regarded the situation as “unnecessary and unfair on everybody”.His first thought in the morning was, “I hope Vern will be OK”, but he vowed not to overreact because “I still don’t know for certain what happened”. De Villiers convinced himself to treat it as “just another obstacle to be overcome”.South Africa lost the match on the final ball and de Villiers blamed the defeat on their failure to take “five clear opportunities … three possible run-outs and two catches”, and not on the selection saga. “We didn’t lose because of the decision to replace Kyle with Vernon,” he writes.In the aftermath, de Villiers was devastated. He chided himself to “lose properly” even as he cried on the field and later in the change room when he saw his family.In broader terms, de Villiers is supportive of transformation. “I was certainly not blind to the wider issues and I regard the process of transformation in South African cricket not as something imposed on the game but as something that was morally the right thing to do.”He also maintains that “winning an official World Cup with the South African team had become my burning ambition”, which suggest he may play a fourth edition of the tournament, in 2019.De Villiers has already been part of three failed campaigns. He put South Africa’s semi-final loss in 2007 down to “simply trying too hard”. He does not offer many reasons for the 2011 loss to New Zealand but reveals that then-captain Graeme Smith warned them that, when they got home, “daggers and stones will be thrown”. Smith did not make the trip back with the team.De Villiers has also competed in six World T20s and captained in two. The 2016 one left its biggest mark on him. South Africa exited in the first round and de Villiers said there was “nothing new to say and nothing new to think” with regards to that, except that facing the media in such situations was no fun. “It will never be much fun until a Proteas team finally goes out and wins one of these ICC limited-overs tournaments. That will happen one day.”

In a clash that briefly flirted with the gripping, it was Australia’s experience that helped them ride a top-order wobble as they began their title defence with a six-wicket win against South Africa at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Nagpur18-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLauren Cheatle took two wickets to stifle South Africa at the end of their innings•Getty/ICC

In a clash that briefly flirted with the gripping, it was Australia’s experience that helped them ride a top-order wobble as they began their title defence with a six-wicket win against South Africa at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. It was vice-captain Alex Blackwell and captain Meg Lanning who led the way to chase down 103 easily in the end, after they were reduced to 9 for 3 in the fourth over.South Africa had an excellent launch pad at 69 without loss in 12 overs after opting to bat. Then they fell into a crater courtesy rush of blood and indecision in shot selection to huff and puff to 102 for 6. As hard as they tried, defending it was never going to be easy against the masters of the big occasion who are gunning for their fourth successive title.Eventually, the batting meltdown played a big part in the result, as Lanning and Blackwell allayed fears with an unbroken 52-run fifth-wicket stand off just 38 balls to see Australia home with nine balls to spare.Spin was expected to play a major part, but to everyone’s surprise, it was a flat batting track, where batsmen could hit through the line without worrying about turn or bounce. South Africa showed they were up for a fight as Dane van Niekerk did the early running by making 45 in a 72-run opening stand with Trisha Chetty, before Australia strangulated them.While Ellyse Perry hustled the batsmen with pace, Lauren Cheatle’s canny variations resulted in South Africa’s middle order having to manufacture strokes that didn’t connect. Of course it didn’t help that Australia’s fielders were on the ball, showcasing tremendous athleticism and agility on one of the biggest outfields in India, cutting out at least 10 runs to the final total. Chetty’s scratchy 34 eventually helped them cross the 100-run mark.Australia’s thoughts of the chase being a walk in the park were firmly put on the backburner. Alyssa Healy walked across to flick, only to find her leg stump flattened to give the fired-up Shabnim Ismail an early sniff. Perry bottom-edged a cut to the wicketkeeper, while Ellyse Villani chopped on to leave Australia in tatters before they could reach double figures.Lanning’s illness that kept her off the field for most parts of South Africa’s innings meant she could come in either after 30 minutes or the fall of the fifth wicket. An air of anticipation hovered in the South African camp, but the conclusion of Ismail’s opening burst took with it the sting in their attack as Blackwell and Jess Jonassen added 44 for the fourth wicket. More importantly, the pair ensured the asking rate never got out of hand. When Jonassen stepped out to be stumped, the game was back in the balance as Australia slipped to 53 for 4, needing 50 off 47 balls.Lanning, not quite her usual self, struggled to run, but wasn’t going to miss out on freebies on offer as she helped herself to three fours to bring the equation down to 23 off the last four overs. Once within striking distance, the feared white-ball striker in her surfaced as she hit Ismail for two fierce square cuts, to convert a tricky chase into a cruise.

Morris and Queenslander Michael Neser added to the squad for the second Test against West Indies in Adelaide as cover with doubts remaining over Pat Cummins

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2022Lance Morris, the Western Australia pace bowler who is rated the quickest bowler in Australia, has been called up into the squad alongside Queensland seamer Michael Neser as bowling reinforcement for the second Test against West Indies in Adelaide.Morris, 24, has had an outstanding Sheffield Shield season where he is the leading wicket-taker with 27 and 18.40. He almost bowled WA to a remarkable victory at the Gabba on Sunday.Dubbed ‘The Wild Thing’ – in a nod to former tearaway Shaun Tait – after bursting onto the scene five years ago during a tour game against England at the WACA, where he notably bowled a wayward short delivery first up to Joe Root, Morris has developed a reputation for testing the speed radar.”I’m an attacking and intimidating bowler,” Morris told ESPNcricinfo earlier in the season. “I can get to the early 150s [kph]. I’m just settling into my body now. They say around 26 is when you basically mature as a bowler. I’ve got still room to get faster.”Related

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Australia have called up reinforcements after captain Pat Cummins was unable to bowl in the second innings in Perth due to a quad injury although he did return to the field. He is confident of being fit for the day-night Test but with a packed schedule the selectors are unlikely to take risks.”Was he at risk out there doing what he was doing? No,” head coach Andrew McDonald said. “He was able to manage the tempo in which he ran. We felt as though him being out there was helping us so that we were in control of the game.”We can we can leave it right up to the to the toss if we want [to see if he will play]. He’s our captain, we’re going to give him every chance to get out there, and…even the way he marshalled the troops out there was impressive.”Whether Morris cracks into the XI remains to be seen with Scott Boland, who averages 9.55 in Tests, already there as the reserve quick. He has not played since his stunning Ashes performance last season.But Morris could add a point-of-difference to the attack and the selectors may consider it is worth seeing what he can do at the next level.”I think that’s probably No.1 [quickest] I’ve faced in my Shield career,” Kurtis Patterson, the New South Wales captain, said earlier this season. “He was fast and it was No.1 in terms of absolutely consistent pace.”Morris also gave the Indians a working over during a T20 World Cup match in Perth earlier in the summer.”The more I bowl, the more I feel like I’m really grasping what being a fast bowler is all about,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep getting better and continue to bowl fast because it’s a lot of fun.”McDonald is wary of the workload on the quick bowlers with five Tests against West Indies and South Africa in less than six weeks.”Bowling last and a short turn-around, put stress and strain on your bowling stock,” he said. “We know we’ve got other guys that are there ready and available. See how our guys pull up and then move from there.”At the moment as it sits they’ve pulled up well, both Josh and Mitch. Patty’s obviously the major concern, and we erred on the side of caution with him.”Neser played his one and only Test match to-date in last year’s Adelaide day-night Test when Cummins was ruled out with Covid.Squad David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Lance Morris, Marcus Harris