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Maxwell finds his feet under pressure

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Glenn Maxwell came in with Australia two down in the first over, but he didn’t let that bog him down, choosing instead to take advantage of the field restrictions to launch a methodical counterattack

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur24-Mar-2014Glenn Maxwell’s hurricane 74 against Pakistan ultimately amounted to nothing, from a result point of view, but Australia will be delighted with the knowledge that one of their biggest hitters can connect under the highest pressure.From 8 for 2 in the first over and with Aaron Finch struggling to get going, Maxwell aimed at the best within Pakistan’s bowling attack. He regularly connected with the slog sweep every time a bowler strayed or even hinted at straying.It would have been understandable had he not taken complete advantage of the poor deliveries at that stage, since Australia needed to rebuild, but Maxwell rushed them past that stage quickly with what amounted to methodical hitting. His power helped, ensuring even slower deliveries cleared the rope comfortably. His feet were moving well, and at times he splayed them to make room on both sides of the wicket.Maxwell peppered the on-side field, taking 53 of his 74 runs from the region, hammering all seven of his sixes in the arc between backward square-leg and long-on. He was only stopped by genuinely good deliveries, such as a doosra that he missed from Saeed Ajmal in the tenth over.He attacked Ajmal quite a lot too, taking 12 off five deliveries, but was keener still when Bilawal Bhatti bowled his first over, taking 20 out of the 30 runs that came from it. His early attack on Mohammad Hafeez also signaled what Australia’s attitude would be towards spin, but the other batsmen didn’t taste the success Maxwell had.This was Maxwell’s most significant effort in an Australian jersey, having entered the team two years ago with a growing reputation as a T20 player. Captain George Bailey praised Maxwell’s response to the situation.”It was outstanding,” Bailey said. “That’s exactly why he’s batting in that position [No. 4] for us. We know he’s got that shot-making power. I thought it was a mature innings too; he picked gaps at times as well. He went up and down in momentum as was required.”According to Maxwell, batting in the Powerplay overs made it slightly less challenging for him. He had raced to 31 off 13 balls with two sixes and four fours during this period, taking his side’s score past 50 in the process. He also enjoyed the extra responsibility of batting up the order in a crucial moment.”I think it does help when you are out there in the first over and there’s still only two men outside the circle,” Maxwell said. “It’s a lot easier to score. The wicket was skidding a little bit at the time I went out there and by the end, it was actually starting to turn a bit.”It was nice to watch the wicket reversal, it made it easy for me because I had been out there for a while. For the guys that came in, it was probably a little bit more difficult because the ball was starting to spin a little bit more and play a few more tricks.”Maxwell also believed his prior experience while playing against Pakistan helped him, as did having Finch in the middle.”My first series against Pakistan, that probably helped tonight, knowing that I can face their spinners and I was confident I could score against them,” he said. “Having Finchy at the other end was quite calming as well, someone who I live with and I spend a lot of time with. So it was very calming having him at the other end.”It was Maxwell all the way for Australia, and when the batting collapsed after his dismissal, there was confirmation that not many of his teammates were having a great day. Whether it was just a case of waking up on the right side of the bed or of flicking a switch within, the Australian team ought to look to Maxwell and turn it on under pressure.

At home with the archers

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Was it worth having Olympic athletes walking all over the sacred turf of Lord’s a fortnight before the ground’s biggest cricket event of the year? The jury’s still out

Liam Herringshaw04-Aug-2012A sunny Thursday morning in early August, and Lord’s is ready for the first session of yet another high-level, high-quality battle. The crowds arrive in their droves, hopeful of a full and exciting day’s play. It isn’t cricket they’re here for, though, as England are taking on South Africa 200 miles north, in Leeds. No, the public have come to St John’s Wood for something completely different: Olympic archery.For me, it’s my last day on site. They call me a Games-maker, but that doesn’t feel like the correct term. I’d love to say I volunteered at the London 2012 Olympics for purely altruistic reasons, but I didn’t. I offered to help out at the archery because I wanted to see behind the scenes at its host venue. As a cricket fan, where else would I want to be but Lord’s?I may be an interloper, then, but no one in my team seems to mind. Many colleagues volunteered for similar reasons. Not that everyone here is happy: the MCC has surrendered control of the home of cricket for three, prime, midsummer weeks. The idea was to use London 2012 to promote Lord’s to a new audience, but some of the old guard are less than impressed.I began my stint in mid-July, and the ground was eerily quiet. Walking past the pavilion in my Sergeant-Pepper-becomes-a-supermarket-cashier uniform, I saw an elderly gentleman walking towards me. I smiled non-confrontationally at him.”Go away,” he spluttered at me. “Go away! We don’t want you here!” And he walked on indignantly.I couldn’t entirely blame him for his outburst. We’d hindered him from going about his usual lordly business, plonked bright pink access boards all over his beloved pavilion, and the brand protection team had gone berserk with the white sticky tape. This was Lord’s, Jim, but not as he’d know it.And then there was the outfield. Rather than use existing seating, spectator stands were erected on the hallowed turf, right in front of the pavilion. The archers would shoot straight across the square, towards targets on the bowlers’ run-ups at the Nursery End. Swathes of grass would see no daylight for weeks, and the wicket would be completely open to the elements.Geoffrey Boycott might hail a temporary return to uncovered wickets, but with fewer than two weeks between the end of the archery competition and the start of the third Test, what chance is there that conditions will be properly playable? Especially with this being the soggiest British summer in living memory.”We are working with the MCC and its turf specialist to ensure the venue will be in good condition for the Test match,” a spokesperson for the Olympics organising committee told me. “Lord’s groundsmen will be able to access the ground for maintenance before and after sessions during the Olympic Games.”New grass is being grown in Lincolnshire, and squares of fresh turf will replace the damaged outfield. Mick Hunt and his MCC ground staff have managed to keep much of the ground in an impressive state. Nonetheless, a 13-day repair job is a monster of a task: dismantling the stands, removing the targets, screens, cables, banners, cabins and tents; removing all signs that the Olympics were here. MCC Head of Cricket John Stephenson admitted earlier this year that Lord’s may not be at its resplendent best in time for the Test.The “Have A Go At Archery” practice range in the Coronation Garden, with WG Grace playing a (fairly) straight bat to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune•Liam HerringshawIf that’s the case, and a crucial England-South Africa match is affected, will the experiment have been worthwhile? The answer seems to be an almost unqualified yes. Sell-out audiences have come to enjoy a new twist on an ancient place. One press veteran of ten Olympics told me he’d never seen archery so popular, whilst the MCC Museum staff were delighted by the number of visitors. High-profile guests have been drawn in too: the Princess Royal, Lennox Lewis and Paul McCartney, to name but three. And cricket even made it into Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony.The archers, meanwhile, have seemed very much at home. The Australians acquired inside information from advisor Steve Waugh; the South Korean men broke both individual and team world records on the first day of competition; and Britain’s Larry Godfrey – the Kevin Pietersen of archery – celebrated his second round victory with a flurry of cover drives*.There were some appropriate pairings: Yorkshire’s Amy Oliver against India’s world No. 1 Deepika Kumari in the women’s event; an Ashes clash between Taylor Worth (Aus) and Alan Wills (GBR) in the men’s. Britain claimed a surprise win in the former, but Australia took the second.Sadly, the promise from India’s male archers that they would celebrate a medal a la Sourav Ganguly never materialised. Italy took the men’s team title, and, in the individual event, neither Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee, nor Tarundeep Rai got beyond the second round. In making the last 16, only Godfrey and Worth flew the flag for cricket-playing nations.The weather hasn’t always been helpful, but rain doesn’t stop play. The archers just have to adjust, and the skill on display has been amazing. Not that I’ve been able to see many matches first-hand. Perhaps aware of my background, the organisers gave me a volunteering role in Lord’s most glamorous setting: a Portakabin in the No. 6 car park. Still, I’ve been able to sneak into the pavilion now and then to watch some of the action, and our workforce canteen in the Mound Stand has a fabulous view of the field of play.Anyway, it’s not the watching, it’s the taking part that counts. I’ve been privileged enough to see Lord’s in a way I’d never imagined, to achieve a lifelong dream and walk down the steps and out onto the field of play, and to discover many useful things. Don Bradman looks like Bono, for example, whilst real tennis is a very strange game indeed.And when Seb Coe zoomed in to see a thrilling finale to the women’s competition, ending with a golden arrow shootout that South Korea’s Ki Bo Bae won by the slimmest of margins, the place was a different Lord’s. Whether all is “normal” again in a fortnight remains to be seen, but for now there was no doubt this strange test had been a great success.*though they did look a bit golfing

A World Cup's no picnic

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Just how much can conceivably be riding on an Under-19 tournament – even if it is the biggest in the world? More than you think perhaps

Sidharth Monga14-Jan-2010With a stump in his hand Virat Kohli, clean-shaven then, gesticulated unsubtly and swore at the South Africans, who had just lost. That famous sight from the Under-19 World Cup final in 2008 didn’t endear Kohli to observers, who thought him ungracious in victory, and that such a reaction was pretty rich from someone who was yet to achieve much in cricket.In a recent interview on , a stubbled Kohli relived the moment: “The whole South African team was sitting there, and I purposely showed it to them,” he said. “Because during the break they were playing football and were relaxed as if they had come for a picnic. [India had been bowled out for 159]. The wicketkeeper said that they had sent India packing. That was one thing that really disturbed us in the mind, and everyone was massively aggressive.” Moral of the story: grace or no grace, the U-19 World Cup is no picnic.Not even after you have bowled the opposition out for 159 in the final. Not in a country such as India, where U-19 years ago overtook first-class competitions as a source of international players. Not in this day and age, when a 20-ball 50 in the semi-final of the tournament could be worth a big-money contract in the IPL.Kohli won’t be in New Zealand over the next fortnight, nor will Bradley Barnes, the keeper who thought India had been sent packing. Instead it will be a fresh bunch of kids – barely out of school. Sons of legends, sons of nobodies, sons of Afghanistan, sons of the Caribbean will all find something for themselves, and will all be by themselves.Last year Umar Akmal, in his first series in international cricket, in Sri Lanka, tried to steal an overthrow off a ricochet off his body. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, almost more experienced in cricket than Akmal was in life, pounced on the boy to teach him a lesson in cricket gamesmanship. To the rescue came Akmal’s batting partner, Shahid Afridi. There won’t be any babies in the 16 teams in New Zealand. There will be no pre-assigned bullies, no pre-assigned rescuers. All will be babies, all will be men.It won’t be an end in itself, just the start of a journey, an education. They will, for instance, learn what doping is, and which pills given by momma can end their careers. They’ll learn the art of mindlessly saying politically correct things in press conferences, an integral part of a modern sportsman’s life. Many of them will be travelling out of their countries for the first time. Most still live with their parents. A few will come back and soon find themselves with enough money to buy their houses for their parents, without yet having gone to college.Quick facts

The format Sixteen teams play round-robin in groups of four each. Two teams from each group make it to quarterfinals. After that it’s all knockout.

Internationals on view Five players involved have already played senior ODIs: Ruvindu Gunasekara for Canada, James Atkinson and Irfan Ahmed for Hong Kong, Paul Stirling for Ireland, and Ahmed Shehzad for Pakistan. A total of 50 players have prior first-class experience. Pakistan have the most such players, eight.

Formbook There isn’t really a formbook, but India and Pakistan have sort of monopolised the tournament lately, having won four of the last five titles. Both will be aiming to become the first three-time winners. Australia are the other team to have won it twice; England have won once.

The youngest and the oldest Pakistan’s Babar Azam – at 15 years and 91 days – is the youngest player in the fray, and Naseer Jamali of USA – at 20 years and 126 days – is the oldest. (Associate nations get a year’s grace on the age norm.)

Dark horse Keep an eye out for Bangladesh. They have a settled, experienced team (seven players with first-class experience), and have thrashed Australia and New Zealand in the warm-ups.

Almost everything in cricket manages historical resonance. More than 22 years ago, months before the first Youth World Cup was played, Abdul Qadir was trying to pull off an improbable chase against Australia in the 1987 senior World Cup semi-final. Craig McDermott was there to make sure no such heist was successful, leaving Qadir stranded on 20 off 16 balls and running through the rest. There’s every chance Alister McDermott and Usman Qadir, their sons, might come face to face here in a knockout match.There is every chance the two boys may not know of the space in history their fathers shared, but Manan Sharma has grown up with history. His father, Ajay Sharma, is not remembered as the Ranji Trophy giant he was, but as someone who was banned for life for match-fixing. Manan said that when he was growing up, his father used to watch him play from a far corner of the ground and leave quietly. In a fortnight he could give his father better memories to remember the game by. Not a picnic.This World Cup will belong as much to the Sharmas, the Qadirs, the McDermotts, the Bracewells, the Marshes, the Buchanans, as it will to Noor-ul-Haq and his Afghan team-mates. At 17, he has already fled war, been a refugee in Pakistan, and somewhere along the way picked up cricket. Afghanistan’s mere qualification for a big world event is a matter of fascination. The tournament will belong as much to West Indies and Zimbabwe, two teams whose success could give hope to those who feel heartbroken at the downfall of their senior teams.In two weeks’ time, after having gone through a maze of the fixtures, having witnessed play-offs for ninth place, 12th place, 15th place, we will see new champions crowned at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, a quaint university ground about a 50-minute bus ride from Christchurch. Don’t go by the stunning green all around, the picket fence, the grass bank, the college kids. It’ll be no picnic.

Heartbreak for Pakistan as Australia seal final date with India

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

An unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 17 from MacMillan and Vidler helped Australia clinch thriller after Straker’s six-for

Sreshth Shah08-Feb-2024An unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 17 between Raf MacMillan and Callum Vidler took Australia past Pakistan in a topsy-turvy second semi-final in Benoni to seal a date against India in Sunday’s final for the 2024 Men’s Under-19 World Cup title.Chasing only 180 after Tom Straker’s 6 for 24 wrecked Pakistan in the first innings, Australia nearly threw away their advantage with the bat after a few clumsy top-order dismissals brought some parity into the contest. Fifteen-year-old Ali Raza (4-34) struck thrice late in the day, but the young pair of MacMillan (19*) and Vidler (3*) staved off the challenge posed by the inspired Pakistan bowling attack in the death overs to just about take Australia over the line. The winning runs in the final over were scored off an inside edge that very nearly crashed into the stumps but instead trickled behind for four.Australia also had opener Harry Dixon and wicketkeeper-batter Oliver Peake to thank for their contributions with the bat that held their fragile innings together.Dixon, who models his game on David Warner, hit his third half-century of the tournament and perhaps the most important of his youth ODI career with 50 in 75 balls. He held one end up as Sam Konstas (14), Hugh Weibgen (4), Harjas Singh (run out for 5) and Ryan Hicks (0) fell in quick succession to leave Australia reeling at 59 for 4. Along with Peake, he added 43 for the sixth wicket, but a double-wicket burst from left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas brought Pakistan into the game.Tom Straker starred with six wickets•ICC/Getty Images

Pakistan then went ahead in the contest when Raza with his blistering pace picked off Peake – on 49 – and Straker in the 42nd and 46th overs respectively. He then bowled the No. 10 Mahli Beardman for a duck leaving Australia scrambling with only one wicket in hand. But the tenth and most important wicket remained elusive.Earlier in the day, Pakistan were inserted to bat by Australia captain Weibgen. On a surface with ample spin and enough lateral movement, four of Pakistan’s top six were out for single digits. Straker, with his height and pace, dismissed Shamyl Hussain (17) and Saad Baig (3) while fellow new-ball bowler Vidler got Shahzaib Khan (4). Offspinners MacMillan and Campbell also found enough purchase to keep the left-hand heavy Pakistan line-up guessing.Two batters who did look comfortable for Pakistan, though, were the No. 3 Azan Awais and the No. 7 Minhas. They both struck 52 of different styles, to ensure Pakistan could make 179. Awais was more reserved, playing according to the struggling situation Pakistan found themselves in, while Minhas was more attacking in the back end, with the team searching for a respectable total. Their 54-run fifth-wicket stand seemed to set Pakistan up for a score closer to 200, but their dismissals in the 41st and 45th overs gave Australia an opening to exploit.And that came in the form of Straker’s extreme pace. He picked up a fourth wicket when Ubaid Khan mistimed a shot to cover in the 47th over, and when he returned for the 49th, Straker rattled the stumps of both the No. 10 and No. 11 Pakistan batters. In a game of close margins, the seven balls Pakistan failed to face in the first innings turned out to be mighty expensive.The result now sets up a repeat of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup final and more recently, the 2023 ODI World Cup final contested between the India and Australia senior sides. That contest will be at the same venue in Benoni on Sunday, February 11.

VIDEO: 'It's worse than anger' – Man Utd legends Gary Neville and Paul Scholes admit they have hit their limit with 'disgrace' of a season

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Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Paul Scholes have slammed the club's "disgrace" of a season.

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  • United legends slam "disgrace" of a season
  • Club sit 16th in Premier League
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Neville claimed he feels "worse than anger" at United's 16th-place position in the Premier League, while Scholes admitted he was struggling to find words to describe how poor their efforts have been in 2024-25.

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    United are winless in seven league games, drawing two and losing five on that run. They are without a goal in three straight league home games and have all of their eggs in the Europa League basket ahead of next week's final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

    United travel to Chelsea in the Premier League on Friday night before attentions turn to that showdown. Boss Ruben Amorim is already looking ahead to the summer, though, insisting the club must be "brave" in the transfer window.

São Paulo ainda luta pela liderança na classificação geral? Saiba a situação do Tricolor no Campeonato Paulista

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MatériaMais Notícias

Após a derrota do São Paulo contra o São Bernardo, no último sábado (25), alguns planos foram frustrados. Com o fim da 11ª rodada do Campeonato Paulista, faltando somente uma para o fim da primeira etapa, alguns cenários estão se firmando no que diz respeito ao ranking geral.

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O Tricolor está classificado para as quartas de final desde a vitória contra o São Bento. Tranquilo quanto a isto, surgiam duas novas metas: se manter na liderança do grupo B e buscar a liderança do ranking geral. Para isso, era ideal garantir a vitória contra o São Bernardo e contra o Botafogo-SP, que será o próximo adversário da equipe. Além disso, torcia pela derrota do rival Palmeiras contra a Ferroviária, no jogo que aconteceu neste domingo (26).

ATUAÇÕES: Ninguém vai bem no São Paulo, e substituições de Ceni não têm efeito na derrota

Veja tabela do Campeonato Paulista e simule os próximos jogos

Além do Palmeiras, o São Bernardo era um forte concorrente para a busca da liderança do ranking geral. Entretanto, os resultados do final de semana complicaram a situação do São Paulo.

Com as vitórias das duas equipes, a distância em pontos do Tricolor aumentou. O Palmeiras lidera a classificação geral com 27 pontos, logo atrás está o São Bernardo, com 26.

Ou seja, caso a equipe do ABC vença a próxima partida, contra o Água Santa, e o elenco de Abel Ferreira perder ou empatar contra o Guarani, o Bernô chega na liderança. Entretanto, o São Paulo nem tem chances de entrar nesta disputa. Com a derrota, permaneceu com 20 pontos, em terceiro lugar. Nem se os dois times perderem e o Tricolor vencer a última rodada, chega em primeiro lugar.

Também corre o risco perder o posto para o Água Santa, que está em quarto e com a mesma quantidade de pontos.

Além disso, o Corinthians também pode tomar o lugar do Tricolor. A equipe alvinegra está com 19 pontos somados, enquanto atrás está o Massa Bruta tem 17. Ou seja, se o São Paulo perder e os times citados ganharem a partida válida pela última rodada do Paulistão, a equipe de Fernando Lázaro ultrapassa o Tricolor. No caso do Bragantino, só não chega a ultrapassar por conta do saldo de gols ser inferior.

O encontro do São Paulo com o Botafogo-SP acontece no próximo domingo (5), às 16h, no estádio Santa Cruz.

Embora o primeiro lugar na classificação geral tenha se tornado um sonho distante, a busca em manter a liderança do grupo B está em pé. Atrás do Tricolor, está o Água Santa. Como dito anteriormente, com a mesma quantidade de pontos. Entretanto, o São Paulo supera no saldo de gols (11 contra 3).

Para se manter nesta colocação e ter o mando de campo nas quartas, não pode perder e deve torcer para o adversário também não vencer o próximo jogo, que será contra São Bernardo, também no domingo (5).

Inclusive, grande parte das respostas chegam no domingo (5), com exceção a situação do Corinthians, uma vez que o jogo do Timão contra o Santo André foi remanejado para sábado (4).

Veja quem são os dez primeiros colocados do ranking geral do Campeonato Paulista

1º lugar: Palmeiras (27 pontos)
2 lugar: São Bernardo (26 pontos)
3º lugar: São Paulo (20 pontos)
4º lugar: Água Santa (20 pontos)
5º lugar: Corinthians (19 pontos)
6º lugar: Red Bull Bragantino (17 pontos)
7º lugar: Botafogo-SP (14 pontos)
8º lugar: Santo André (14 pontos)
9º lugar: Santos (14 pontos)
10 lugar: Guarani (13 pontos)

Rahul on LSG missing the playoffs: 'Injuries and the guys that went away really dented us'

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LSG head coach Langer felt dropped catches “really killed us in the end”

Abhimanyu Bose18-May-20244:26

Langer: IPL has same pressure as World Cup

Lucknow Super Giants’ win over Mumbai Indians in their last game of the season was not enough to take them to the playoffs, but it was the kind of performance their captain KL Rahul wanted more of throughout the season.LSG finished on 14 points and occupied sixth spot on table – level with fourth-placed Chennai Super Kings, who still have a game to play on Saturday – but their net run rate of -0.667 was not enough to push them into the top four.”At the beginning of the season, I really felt that we had a strong team and had most bases covered,” Rahul said after the game. “[We had] a couple of injuries obviously, which happens every season to every team, but those injuries and the guys that went away really dented us a little bit, and we didn’t play well enough collectively.Related

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Mohsin Khan nearly lost an arm, but he's back to being Lucknow's enforcer

Pooran-inspired win fails to take LSG into the playoffs

“When the bowlers had a good game, the batters wouldn’t have a good game. We just didn’t come together as much as we would have wanted to.”Rahul’s comments were echoed by LSG head coach Justin Langer, who said they wanted to try a few new tricks in their last game, and that included opening with Devdutt Padikkal in place of Quinton de Kock. But the Padikkal move did not pay off – he was trapped lbw for a golden duck by Nuwan Thushara – and LSG soon found themselves in a familiar position of losing early wickets.They were 69 for 3 in the tenth over but Nicholas Pooran’s whirlwind 29-ball 75 revivied them. It also helped Rahul accelerate from 29 off 28 to finish on 55 off 41 and took the side to 214.LSG had come into the season with a reputation for defending totals, and they lived up to it the first three times they batted first. However, their bowling took a hit in the second half of the competition, with injuries to key bowlers like Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav, and they struggled to defend totals.But in Mumbai, even after the hosts enjoyed an 88-run opening stand in 8.4 overs, their bowling unit came together to effectively blunt the opposition by the 15th over. Naman Dhir, batting at No. 7, gave them a scare with a 28-ball 62 not out, but LSG got through.Langer acknowledged that they missed the services of Mayank and Mohsin, but felt that their sloppy fielding “really killed us in the end”.”I think dropped catches cost us,” Langer said at the post-game press conference. “If you go back to the Delhi game at home, we dropped [Jake] Fraser-McGurk on 17 [24] off Marcus Stoinis. And I think he hit 26 [21] runs off the next over and it really kickstarted his whole season. I saw a stat today that we’ve dropped a lot of catches. We’ve probably got the best fielding coach in the world [Jonty Rhodes] and we dropped some catches. And often it’s [something] as simple as that to [decide] the outcome of the season.”We missed Mayank, he was huge. Mohsin [Khan] had quite a sore back for some of the tournament. But I think dropped catches is the thing that really killed us in the end.”But against MI, LSG held on to all their chances – five catches taken on the field. Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi took a brilliant catch each to send Dewald Brevis and Suryakumar Yadav, respectively, packing.”Today was a really good performance,” Rahul said. “This is the kind of game we wanted to play more where batters are scoring, and bowlers are doing their job. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that, so we find ourselves here.”

Lancashire announce signing of Tom Bruce as overseas player

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New Zealand batter set to be available for full season across formats

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2024

Tom Bruce averages close to 50 in first-class cricket•Getty Images

Lancashire have signed New Zealand batter Tom Bruce as their second overseas player for 2024. The 32-year-old will link up with the club in April and, like Australia’s Nathan Lyon, is expected to be available across formats for the full season.Bruce, who has been capped 17 times in T20Is, averages 49.85 in first-class cricket and his arrival will help cover for the departure of Dane Vilas after seven seasons at Lancashire.Bruce’s most-recent New Zealand appearance came in 2020, while he captained the A side to victory in two four-day games against Australia A last September. His likely availability while the T20 World Cup is being played was cited as a factor in his signing by Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance.”Tom will be available throughout the 2024 season, and this was a big draw for myself and Dale [Benkenstein] when going into the market for our overseas signings for this year,” Chilton said. “This will allow Tom to settle in, become part of the squad and create consistency and stability in our team selections throughout the summer.”Tom is a hugely experienced cricketer, and we feel that his skillset will be a good fit within our squad. He has had a hugely impressive few years with the bat in domestic cricket over in New Zealand – with an outstanding record in both the Plunkett Shield and Super Smash competitions as well as for New Zealand A and is very close to full international selection.”With the ICC T20 World Cup taking place in June and July this year at the same time as the Vitality Blast, the availability of overseas options is at a premium. Therefore, Tom’s quality, experience and full season availability makes him a strong addition to the squad.”We believe that Tom will offer us a lot of options as he strengthens our middle order in the County Championship whilst his powerful hitting will give our batting line-up a new dimension towards the backend of an innings in the Vitality Blast and Metro Bank One Day Cup.”Lancashire finished mid-table in County Championship Division One last year, after back-to-back runners-up spots, and were beaten at the quarter-final stage of both white-ball competitions.That led to the departure of Glenn Chapple as head coach, with Benkenstein recruited from Gloucestershire during the off-season.”This is a really exciting opportunity for me, and I can’t wait to get over to England in a few months’ time,” Bruce said. “To have the opportunity to spend a full county cricket season with a club like Lancashire is a dream come true and to have Emirates Old Trafford as my home ground was another massive draw for me once I heard about the interest.”I feel that I have a lot to add to Lancashire and after speaking to Mark Chilton and Dale Benkenstein I am really excited about what we can achieve together with such a talented group of players in the 2024 season.”

High-flying Afghanistan turn their focus from 2019 champs to runners-up

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

New Zealand are on a five-game winning streak, but Afghanistan have just felled England in commanding fashion

Ashish Pant17-Oct-20233:17

McClenaghan: Afghanistan’s spinners will be a big threat for New Zealand

Big Picture: Two teams on a high face offThe 2019 World Cup champions have been taken down. Time for the runners-up next?Afghanistan players have time and again called India their second home. At various points, they have had their base set up at Indian venues like Dehradun, Lucknow and Greater Noida, where they played their “home games”. IPL regulars Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi have always been a crowd favourite, while Naveen-ul-Haq keeps the buzz going.Which is why there was genuine excitement among the Delhi crowd when Afghanistan served defending champions England a 69-run thrashing on Sunday. It was only Afghanistan’s second-ever win in an ODI World Cup game in 18 attempts and their first since 2015.Related

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However, even with the confidence of a big win under their belt, Afghanistan know they have their work cut out as they run into red-hot New Zealand in Chennai. Unbeaten so far in the tournament – three wins out of three – New Zealand seem to have all the pieces of the puzzle in place. But the Chennai surface could prove to be a potential banana peel against the spin trio of Rashid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Nabi. The three spinners lead the wicket-taking list for Afghanistan in the World Cup so far and will hope for more success on a pitch which is expected to turn.Afghanistan’s biggest issue remains their over-reliance on the top three of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah. In ODIs since the start of 2021, the trio has accounted for 52.79% of the total runs that Afghanistan have scored. Among all Full Members nations, their middle order (Nos. 4 to 7) has the lowest average: 26.00.This was on display in the game against England as well where Afghanistan collapsed from 114 for 0 to 190 for 6 before the lower order bailed them out. The likes of Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Nabi will need to step up and quick.New Zealand have far fewer problems. They come into this game on a five-match winning streak, having won each of these games rather convincingly. Their top order has fired in every game while the bowling unit looks well-rounded. Of course, Kane Williamson’s “undisplaced fracture” to his left thumb might be a cause for concern for them, especially given the nature of this Chennai pitch, but Tom Latham has proven to be an effective leader in his absence.New Zealand might be on a high, but they can’t afford to be complacent against a side that seems to have finally found its mojo.3:47

Should New Zealand look to bring Southee in?

Form guide: New Zealand on a rollAfghanistan WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWWWIn the spotlight: Mitchell Santner and Mujeeb Ur RahmanMitchell Santner has turned his 2023 upside down and how! Coming into the World Cup, Santner had only four wickets in seven ODIs at an average of 80.25 and economy of 5.24 in 2023. Three matches into the tournament, he has already doubled that tally and is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Matt Henry with eight scalps at 15.87. He’s been excellent with his pace variations and has tied the batters down in the powerplay. Chepauk is like home away from home for Santner. He has been with the Chennai Super Kings squad in the IPL since 2019 and will want to put up another solid show on “home” territory.Mujeeb Ur Rahman did not start off the World Cup the way he wanted but did a star turn against England first with the bat and then picking up 3 for 51 to take home the Player of the Match award. He’s been Afghanistan’s joint-leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year and, having found his groove, will want to inflict more damage against New Zealand come Wednesday.Team news: Who comes in for Williamson?With Williamson out injured for a while, Will Young is the likely candidate to take his place in the New Zealand XI. He is likely to slot back into the opening position, with Rachin Ravindra expected to move to the No. 3 spot. Tom Latham will lead the side once more.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Tom Latham (capt, wk), 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultCan Rashid Khan and Co spring another surprise?•Associated PressAfghanistan are unlikely to make any changes to the playing XI that beat England convincingly.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiPitch and conditions: Turner in Chepauk?The first game of the World Cup in Chennai, between India and Australia, was played on black-soil turner, but the second game had a lot in it for the fast bowlers. Historically, surfaces in Chennai have aided spin and that is likely to be the case on Wednesday as well.There was a slight drizzle in Chennai on the eve of the game, but the forecast is clearer on match day.Stats and triviaMitchell Santner is just one short of 100 wickets in ODIs, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman needs four wickets to reach the 100-mark in the format.Rashid Khan has gone wicketless just three times in ODIs in India and has picked up two or more wickets in an innings seven times in 15 innings.Rahmanullah Gurbaz has fallen to left-arm orthodox spinners in four out of seven innings and averages just 20 against them. Ibrahim Zadran is just 17 short of 1000 runs in ODIs. If he gets there on Wednesday, he will be the quickest Afghanistan batter to the landmark in the format.Quotes”See Rahmanullah [Gurbaz] is one of the players in our team who is I believe a match-winner player. He can change the game anytime.”

Ackermann ends busy weekend with match-winning innings

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

93 not out seals win over Hampshire to keep Leicestershire top of group

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2023Colin Ackermann ended a frantic weekend on the UK’s motorways by guiding Leicestershire Foxes to a four-wicket victory over Hampshire, extending their lead at the top of Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group A.Allrounder Ackermann was called up by Hundred side Southern Brave while travelling to the Ageas Bowl from Leicester on Saturday morning, which meant a detour to Cardiff – where he wasn’t selected to play.He took an Uber to Southampton on Saturday night before driving the Foxes over the finish line with a mature unbeaten 93, which combined with half-centuries from Sol Budinger and Lewis Hill to chase down 296.The talented Josh Hull starred with the ball to claim 4 for 57, after Fletcha Middleton’s 78 and Tom Prest’s 65 had set Hampshire up only to collapse.Leicestershire move clear of Hampshire in second and Kent in third with their fourth victory in five fixtures, while condemning Hampshire to their first defeat of the tournament.Hampshire were stuck in and openers Middleton and Nick Gubbins eased through the gears against tight bowling to put on 89 for the first wicket.After Gubbins had played Hull on, Middleton continued to plug away and added a couple of lofted on drives into his repertoire as he reached his second fifty of the competition in 51 balls.He and Prest added 69 together before wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb ended his stay with a fine diving catch, with the Australian gloveman stumping Ben Brown in the following over.Aneurin Donald naturally lifted the scoring rate with 25 off 17 balls and accompanied Prest to a 56-ball half-century as Hampshire looked on course for a total well in excess of 300.But the mixture of the Foxes’ discipline and rash shot-making saw the hosts lose seven wickets for 89 runs and fail to see the full 50 overs.Donald and Prest were both bowled swinging hard – to Wiaan Mulder and legspinner Uttam Ramji – while Toby Albert hooked Chris Wright to deep fine and Keith Barker looped a paddle to Handscomb.Everything else was the domain of Hull and his size 15 boots. His height and pace found Ian Holland off balance and pulling onto his stumps, Mason Crane slicing to mid-on and Eddie Jack swinging behind. The exciting Hull ended up his second four-wicket haul in three matches as Hampshire were bowled out for 296.Rishi Patel scored a high-quality 161 to facilitate victory over Lancashire last time out but only lasted five balls before edging a drive to second slip.Josh Hull celebrates a wicket•Kyle AndrewsSol Budinger showed off his range hitting with four sixes as he reached fifty in 39 balls and celebrated by carting Prest over long-on two balls later.Hampshire roared back into the contest with two wickets in two overs. Firstly, Budinger was caught at deep square leg off 17-year-old Jack before Handscomb was castled by Holland.Lewis Hill rebuilt with Colin Ackermann with the pair putting on 54 and Hill reaching the fifty for the ninth time in List A cricket.Hill was given out lbw to Barker and Mulder edged Mason Crane behind but Ackermann chipped away at the runs first a 55-ball fifty – his 22nd in List As.The game swung one way when Louis Kimber took Scott Currie for 20 in an over, and then seemingly the other when Kimber was caught at long-off.But Ackermann showed little respect for the pressure as he and former Hampshire man Tom Scriven knocked off the remaining 74 runs in style – with 2.4 overs to spare.