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Ed Cowan has barged his way into Australia’s Boxing Day Test team to face India through weight of runs, and will be joined by Shaun Marsh provided the West Australian can prove his fitness

Daniel Brettig21-Dec-2011Ed Cowan, the Tasmania opening batsman currently among the runs, has been picked for Australia’s Boxing Day Test team to face India and will be joined in the top three by Shaun Marsh provided the West Australian can prove his fitness.Ben Hilfenhaus has also earned a recall, the selectors seeking an experienced head to help a young bowling attack battle India’s batsmen at the MCG.Cowan and Marsh replaced Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja from the XI that was beaten by New Zealand in Hobart, with Shane Watson and Ryan Harris unable to be chosen due to continued fitness complaints.Watson aggravated a calf problem on day one of the team’s batting camp in Melbourne, while Harris indicated he was short of the required conditioning after returning to cricket for the Brisbane Heat in last night’s BBL match at the Gabba.

Australia Test squad

Michael Clarke (capt), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Daniel Christian, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon

John Inverarity, the national selector, said Cowan would open the batting, with Marsh and Daniel Christian to vie for one spot and Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Starc the other.”Ed has been in wonderful form, and the intention is that he will open the batting with David Warner,” Inverarity said. “Of the XI that will line up on December 26, it will either be Shaun Marsh or Daniel Christian.”It is likely if Shaun plays that he’ll be batting at No. 3, if Daniel plays then he’d be at No. 6 and the batting line-up would be re-arranged accordingly, and then it would seem likely that one of Mitchell Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus would be 12th man. That’s the anticipated balance of the side but we’ll have to wait on weather and pitch conditions and final form and fitness.”Inverarity said Marsh’s need to show his back can stand up to the rigours of a Test match caused the naming of a 13-man squad.”The NSP has named 13 players due to the ongoing uncertainty about the fitness of Shaun Marsh,” Inverarity said. “Shane Watson was not considered for selection as he has not recovered sufficiently from his injury. Ryan Harris has not yet achieved the volume of bowling required to be available for consideration for Test selection.”Ed Cowan has been in excellent form in recent weeks. His inclusion is in recognition of his consistently good performances and we anticipate that he can provide steadiness at the top of the order. Ben Hilfenhaus has regained form this season and he provides a strong and reliable bowling option.”We see both Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja as developing players with bright futures and remaining as players of significance. They are determined young men and I know that they will work hard to produce compelling performances and push strongly for further consideration.”Since turning around an indifferent start to the season with an unbeaten 91 in a limited overs match against South Australia in Burnie in mid-November, Cowan’s scores have been 4, 134*, 145, 10, 65, 145* and 109 in the first innings of the tour match against the Indians.His strong form has been mirrored by Hilfenhaus, who has shown greater snap and swing this summer, most recently for Hobart in the Twenty20 competition, after he looked innocuous at times against England during last summer’s Ashes series. He was also considered close to selection for the New Zealand series, though the selectors ultimately decided to test out a younger attack as a precursor to India’s visit.”Ben Hilfenhaus is in very good form,” Inverarity said. “I think he had a few body concerns and his action deteriorated a little bit last year and he seems to have got it back and been playing in very good form. He is a strong, durable, experienced bowler.”It [the T20 match in Perth] certainly wasn’t a negative, he bowled very well, but we’ve been considering Ben for some weeks and he provides a strong, durable experienced option for us.”Watson’s case is more problematic, as he has now suffered a trio of fitness problems since the start of the South Africa tour. Inverarity said the panel was hopeful Watson would be fit to play in the second Test of the India series in Sydney.”Shane is not fit to play. He’s had ongoing troubles with his calf,” Inverarity said. “The situation is improving and we hope he’ll be in contention for the second Test in Sydney. But he’s not available to play this game. It is an option for him to bat down the order, yes. The word from Shane Watson was that he was not fit to play. I wasn’t in Melbourne yesterday but he spoke at length with Mickey Arthur and the word was he’s not ready.”Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey remain part of the Test team despite poor displays in Hobart and advancing years, Inverarity speaking of their value to the dressing room as a critical factor in their continued retention.”They’ve both been wonderful cricketers, they are wonderful cricketers, and terrific men and provide a lot for the side,” he said. “We all on the selection panel are keen for them to do well. We’re hoping they have a breakthrough in the next week or two. They offer a tremendous amount to the side.”

While most major teams are finalising their preparations for the World Cup, Pakistan cricket’s internal discord continues to divert attention off the field. Can they turn the corner against South Africa?

The Preview by Sriram Veera28-Oct-2010

Series Facts

October 29, Abu Dhabi

Start time 15:00 (11:00 GMT)All eyes will be on Younis Khan who will making his comeback to international cricket•AFP

The Big Picture

It’s no state secret that Pakistan’s Achilles heel is their batting. Watching their familiar collapses leaves you with a feeling of numbness these days. It’s the same script that seems to be playing on an endless loop: the openers combust mindlessly, Umar Akmal plays couple of pretty shots before throwing his wicket away, Shahid Afridi biffs a few big shots before holing out, and the innings meanders aimlessly in the end.Will the one-day series against South Africa turn out to be different? Younis Khan is back but there is no Mohammad Yousuf or Shoaib Malik. Much will depend on how fast the hugely-talented Umar Akmal matures and how long Shahid Afridi can remain calm. Mohammad Hafeez bowled well in the Twenty20 games but didn’t last long with the bat. Again, it was the same-old failing: couple of quality hits preceded an adrenalin rush that led to his dismissal. Can he turn it around in the ODI series?South Africa will be reinforced by the return of Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, and Dale Steyn. It will be interesting to see who makes way for Kallis in the middle order. Will it be the impressive Colin Ingram, who played such a cool finishing hand in both Twenty20s, or will it be David Miller? While Ingram offers stability, Miller offers explosiveness – who will they choose?

Form guide

(most recent first)

South Africa: WWWWW
Pakistan: LWWLL

Watch out for…

Younis Khan is back but won’t get much breathing space to ease into the team. The middle order lacks the experience of Yousuf and Malik, and Pakistan will hope that Younis can hold the innings together in the middle overs. He has struggled in the last two years, though: in the 27 games he played during that period, he averaged 25.11 with just one hundred. In the eight matches he played in the last year, he averaged just 11.12. He doesn’t have a great record against South Africa: he averages 25.92 from 29 ODIs at a strike rate of 66.97
Graeme Smith He averaged 28 from three games against Zimbabwe. He hit a painstaking, but vital, 38 in the second Twenty20 game against Pakistan where he struggled against the spinners but didn’t throw his wicket away. It will be interesting to track his progress through this series.

Team news

Pakistan have a few tough batting decisions to make. It’s a battle between the old and the new: Younis and Misbah v the youngsters they will displace. Will Asad Shafiq and Fawad Alam get chances? Will Shahzaib Hasan be dropped or will it be Imran Farhat? Will Hafeez be played as an opener?
Pakistan (possible): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Mohammed Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Zulqarnain Haider (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Saeed Ajmal.South Africa (possible): 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (wk),5 JP Duminy, 6 Colin Ingram/David Miller, 7 Albie Morkel/Rusty Theron, 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Lonwabo Tsotsobe, 11 Dale Steyn.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won their last nine ODI games. Their previous eight wins have come against West Indies and Zimbabwe.
• Johan Botha’s career bowling average is 39.57 but it skyrockets to 102.50 from five matches against Pakistan. His economy rate climbs from a career average of 4.62 to 5.06 against Pakistan. Dale Steyn is yet to play an ODI against Pakistan.
  

  Quotes

  “You’ve got two guys [Morkel and Steyn]. One has bounce and he can hit 145 kph, the other has swing and can hit 140 to 150kph. They are wonderful assets to have. ”

Sri Lanka have a shot at redemption during this final leg of the tour against a a side that has not been the most confident in this format of late

The Preview by Jamie Alter14-Dec-2009

Match facts

Tuesday, December 15
Start time 09:00 (03:30 GMT)Sanath Jayasuriya is all set to move to the middle order•AFP

Big picture

After a one-sided Test series and an even Twenty20 contest, during which flat pitches and big bats rendered the spinners ineffective, India and Sri Lanka embark upon a five-match ODI series beginning in Rajkot. Chastened by a 2-0 defeat in the Tests, Sri Lanka have a shot at redemption during this final leg of the tour.The focus will be on Kumar Sangakkara and how he backs his talk with leadership and runs – he did thump exceptional fifties in the Twenty20s. The most interesting sub-plots of the series, though, should be the return of Zaheer Khan to 50-over cricket, and Sanath Jayasuriya’s expected move down to the middle order. Jayasuriya’s equation in the middle order – where he has not batted regularly since the early 1990s – and his role with the ball as Sri Lanka nurse Muttiah Muralitharan back will be crucial if Sri Lanka are to compete with India. For Sri Lanka these five matches provide an opportunity to assess their one-day prospects and identify areas they need to work on.Despite their No. 2 ICC ranking, India are not exactly bristling with confidence. They might have won 14 out of 23 completed ODIs this year, but are coming off a disappointing Champions Trophy and a home-series defeat to Australia. Sreesanth is surely out, and Yuvraj Singh is unlikely to play in the opener. That leaves a shaky middle order and a patchy bowling attack, neither of which fired cohesively against Australia. Zaheer and Harbhajan Singh’s task of boosting India’s bowling is now cut out.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India – LLLWW

Sri Lanka – LLWLW

Watch out for…

A hungry Kumar Sangakkara is precisely the captain and player Sri Lanka need. His successive thrilling half-centuries in the two Twenty20s underlined his quality – if proof were needed – and he remains a formidable figure at the top of the order. Sangakkara hasn’t made a one-day hundred in 34 innings since June 2008, but there were signs in Nagpur and Mohali that his best form might just be around the corner.Sanath Jayasuriya did better than Tillakaratne Dilshan in the Twenty20s but was comfortably overshadowed by Sangakkara’s top-order fireworks. Always a powerful striker, he will now be an important middle-order player regardless of whether Sri Lanka get away to a flier or lose early wickers. The test will be for him to add extra patience to his game in the latter scenario. Jayasuriya’s left-arm spin is equally vital – his spell in the first Twenty20 was crucial to Sri Lanka’s win – and he has a knack of breaking through when the lead bowlers are struggling.It has been exactly 10 months since Zaheer Khan played an ODI, but he held up during the Tests and the break from the Twenty20s should have given him time to rest. India’s bowling wasn’t at its best in the time Zaheer was out with injury and he will reunite with Ashish Nehra, India’s best fast bowler since he returned in June, for the first time since 2005. The two are clever one-day bowlers, and having a potent left-arm opening duo could lift India’s chances.Suresh Raina was a spectator during the Twenty20s and needs to raise his stock in the 50-over format. Yet to be given a fixed spot in the line-up, largely due to Dhoni’s penchant for flexibility, Raina will assume more responsibility now that Yuvraj is likely to miss the first match. He scored two fifties against Australia, but his only centuries so far have come against Hong Kong and Bangladesh. The time may have come for Raina to rectify that.

Team news

Dhoni didn’t name India’s final XI, but Yuvraj’s absence at training signalled towards Virat Kohli getting a game. Sreesanth’s absence may not mean an ODI debut for rookie Sudeep Tyagi, because Praveen Kumar could fill up that opening. Harbhajan will take the lead spinner’s role and the allrounder’s spot should go to Ravindra Jadeja.India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra.Sri Lanka’s line-up is likely to be significantly different from the Twenty20s, with key changes at the top and in the middle. With Jayasuriya playing in the middle order, Upul Tharanga will open. The last middle-order spot will be a toss-up between Thilan Samaraweera and Thilina Kandamby, the latter being the frontrunner.Sri Lanka were dealt a jolt today when Lasith Malinga came down with fever and did not train at the ground. The good news, though, was that Murali is almost certain to return as the lead spinner after missing the Twenty20 internationals due to a finger injury sustained during the Mumbai Test. He showed no signs of discomfort in the nets, though he visited a hospital later for a pain-relief injection on the finger. With Angelo Mathews a guaranteed allrounder, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando and Ajantha Mendis will contest two spots.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Thilina Kandamby/Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Sanath Jayasuriya, 8 Angelo Mathews, 9 Muttiah Muralithara, 10 and 11 Nuwan Kulasekera/Dilhara Fernando/Ajantha Mendis.

Pitch and conditions

For the second year running a bilateral series gets underway at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground. Last November, India and England squared off here and the home side set the tone for a series sweep with a resounding win. While it is a venue with plenty of runs on offer, it isn’t one where India have always enjoyed playing. They have a 50-50 record here and the last time they played Sri Lanka at this ground, in 2007, they lost by five runs.

Stats and trivia

• India have a clear 25-10 win-loss advantage in home ODIs against Sri Lanka. Their recent record is even more dominant, with 10 wins and two losses since 1999.
• Virender Sehwag is the leading run-scorer at this ground, with 259 runs in five innings at an average of 64.75 and a strike rate of 115.62. Sachin Tendulkar has struggled, though, scoring only 161 in six innings. Among the Sri Lankans, Kumar Sangakkara is the only one to score a century here, while Tillakaratne Dilshan has two half-centuries.
• Five of the last six ODIs here – dating back to November 1999 – have been won by the team batting first. Four out of India’s five victories have come batting first.
  

  Quotes

  “We cannot afford to drop our guard and become complacent. Every time we take the field, we go out with the intention of winning the game. We will strive to finish the year with a series victory.”
  “It’s not about what has happened in the series. He’s still a great bowler and can have an impact on the game at any time in the series it has nothing to do with what has happened till now.”

Bangladesh opener hit 67 off 69 balls in the second ODI but wants to “play long innings”

Mohammad Isam07-Jul-2025Parvez Hossain Emon doesn’t like throwing his wicket away after a good start, but he will not step back from his natural instincts in the third ODI against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Parvez made a rapid 67 in the second game, which Bangladesh won by 16 runs. It kept them in contention going into Tuesday’s match, and also broke their eight-match losing streak.Parvez rued getting out after making 67 off 69 balls, when Wanindu Hasaranga beat him with a subtle googly.”I didn’t bat long in the last match,” Parvez said on the eve of the third ODI. “I was feeling guilty after getting out because I was set and the wicket was beautiful. I could have scored a hundred that day, and I felt bad about it. [Towhid] Hridoy was unfortunate; he got run-out. We have been talking about it. If we get set, we need to play long innings. We have to be consistent. If we score runs early and consistently, it will be easier for the team to do well.”Related

• Rain in the way as Bangladesh look for first ODI series win in SL

• Tanvir: Mehidy kept telling us we could defend 248

Batting first in the second ODI, Bangladesh were bowled out for 248 with Parvez and Towhid Hridoy getting fifties. The visitors have shown a tendency to play a high-risk shot much before getting to a decent score in this ODI series.Parvez said that he is hopeful of getting a good start in the third ODI at the Pallekele International Stadium, a ground which is regarded as one of the better batting wickets in Sri Lanka. Parvez himself has looked in good form, particularly after his breakthrough century against UAE in the T20I series in May.”I try to assess the situation, and play accordingly, and I try to play my natural game,” he said. “I don’t have any set target. I spoke to the guys who have played here earlier, and everyone is saying this wicket will be good for batting. I will try to play a big innings if I get a start.”Parvez also talked about his dismissal in the second ODI, when Hasaranga beat him with a lovely delivery. He said that he missed the line of the ball, but generally felt comfortable playing the Sri Lanka legspinner.”He is a good bowler, but he didn’t give me much trouble,” Parvez said. “I just missed the line on that delivery. Legspinners are important in world cricket, and Rishad [Hossain] is also doing well for us. I am sure if he gets a chance, he will do well.”Bangladesh’s players have a bit of their confidence back after Saturday’s win in Colombo. Parvez said that they are eager to grab the opportunity for the series win.”This is a big chance for us. If we win the match tomorrow, it will be a great series win,” he said. “Everyone is feeling confident. After the win in the last match, the confidence has been building among us, so we will try our best to win tomorrow.”

Only 46 overs were bowled as bad light and rain cut short the day’s play

Tristan Lavalette04-Jan-2024Retiring opener David Warner rode his luck before falling for 34 as the third Test between Australia and Pakistan was evenly poised after a truncated second day.Australia made slow progress against a disciplined Pakistan attack, but only 46 overs were bowled in the day’s play due to bad light and rain. Marnus Labuschagne was unbeaten on 23 and Steven Smith 6 not out, and they will get the chance to reset in what should be better conditions on day three.Even though the SCG’s light towers were on, play stopped just after drinks in the second session after Pakistan refused to only bowl their spinners.Related

• Jamal's 82 saves Pakistan after another Cummins five-for

• Rizwan atones for his mistake in Melbourne

• Cummins does Cummins things but Jamal steals show with a half-century to savour

Play was unable to resume with persistent rain falling in the afternoon as bad weather continues to plague the traditional New Year’s Test in Sydney. But the forecast is for mostly clear conditions for the remainder of the match.Opener Usman Khawaja fell for a patient 47 off 143 to tireless quick Aamer Jamal in the only wicket of the second session. Australia scored at just 2.46 runs an over and been shackled by an accurate Pakistan attack.All eyes earlier had been on Warner, who is playing in his 112th and final Test. He survived a tense final over before stumps on day one after receiving a guard of honour from the Pakistan team. He started the innings with a first-ball boundary off spinner Sajid Khan before almost playing the ball onto his stumps in a narrow escape.Agha Salman leaps in celebration after claiming David Warner•Getty Images

Warner again came out to a standing ovation to start day two and shared a hug with his close friend Khawaja before walking to the crease. There was intrigue over whether Warner would come out swinging, but he appeared to eye the long haul as he played carefully.Warner did hit a beautiful cover drive off veteran seamer Hasan Ali, who was bowling at pedestrian speeds. Stepping down the crease, Warner was treating him with disdain but he did have another nervous moment when he edged through a vacant third slip and to the boundary.Pakistan’s bid for early wickets with the new ball have been made harder without spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has been contentiously rested for the match ahead of their T20I tour of New Zealand after a heavy workload over the opening two Tests.Warner looked likely to bat through to lunch after being badly dropped on 20 at first slip by debutant Saim Ayub off Jamal. But he failed to capitalise and fell when he edged a sharp delivery from offspinner Agha Salman that had bite and turned sharply as Babar Azam took a fine catch at slip.The crowd groaned as Warner ripped his gloves off and berated himself before trudging off to a standing ovation and loud applause.It was the only wicket of an attritional session. Under gloomy conditions, the surface had been more difficult for batting than on the opening day with variable bounce notable from Salman.Australia have batted conservatively in a far cry to the manic action on day one when Pakistan rattled along at four runs an over but continually lost wickets.There was concern for Pakistan straight after lunch when Hasan hobbled off with an apparent ankle injury but he returned shortly afterwards.Salman continued to threaten and was particularly dangerous around the wicket to left-handed Khawaja as he targeted the rough patches.Labuschagne, looking to shrug off a lean 2023 where he averaged 35 in Test cricket, looked fluent at the start as he played the ball neatly through his favoured on-side before being tied down by accurate bowling.Khawaja stonewalled on a ground he has long dominated having averaged over 100 from seven previous Tests with four centuries. Apart from using his feet nicely to bludgeon Sajid in the first session, Khawaja dug in as he closed in on a half-century.It was slow going until out of nowhere Khawaja tickled a short delivery angled down the leg-side from Jamal. After Khawaja was originally deemed not out, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan immediately called for a review and his confidence was justified when replays showed that Khawaja had gloved it.Bowling consistently at speeds near 140 kmh, Jamal sought a short-ball tactic against Smith who countered by pulling to the boundary on his second delivery faced as the ball sped past a slew of fielders on the leg-side.But the intriguing battle was put on hold with the match in the balance.

The hosts were 94 for 5 and 128 for 6 before a late-order rally took them up towards a decent score but it wasn’t enough

Vishal Dikshit18-Sep-2022A solid and classy knock of 91 from vice-captain Smriti Mandhana powered India to victory after their bowlers restricted England to 227 for 7 in the first ODI in Hove. Nearly everything went right for India after they won the toss and chose to bowl on a slow pitch. They got early wickets. They kept things tight. And they were so ruthless they allowed only one partnership to cross fifty runs in the entire innings. If that wasn’t enough of a clinic, when it was their turn to bat, three of the top four – Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia and Harmanpreet Kaur – hit half-centuries to seal the chase with 34 balls to spare.India’s bowling was a collective performance from the quicks and spinners that left England devoid of any kind of momentum in a stop-start innings and the conditions were such that low bounce accounted for two wickets. The hosts had slipped to 94 for 5 and then 128 for 6 and were staring at a much lower total until Danni Wyatt hit 43 and Alice Davidson-Richards made unbeaten 50 towards the end.India had England’s batters on a leash right from the start with the return of Jhulan Goswami after six months for her farewell series. Emma Lamb whipped Meghna for two fours through the leg side before she edged a bouncer behind off the same bowler in the eighth over. Nine balls later, Goswami’s inswinger trapped Tammy Beaumont lbw for 7 off 21 with England having crawled to just 26 for 2 in 10 overs.Sophia Dunkley, who scored heavily against India in the T20Is, and debutant Alice Capsey steered the hosts through a stable period but a spin squeeze from both ends ended the 43-run stand when Harmanpreet took a one-handed catch at short midwicket to send Capsey back. In what would become a pattern for the entire England innings, just when it looked like Wyatt and Dunkley were rebuilding steadily, Dunkley first handed a straightforward catch to cover off Harleen Deol and a ball that kept really low from Rajeshwari Gayakwad deflected off Amy Jones’ back foot to hit the stumps, leaving England 94 for 5.Alice Davidson-Richards anchored and held England’s innings together•Getty Images

Wyatt and Davidson-Richards collected boundaries off loose deliveries from Meghna, Rana and Deol. Wyatt, however, fell to a soft dismissal too when she missed a sweep off Deepti to lose her stumps. England could have been six down in the same over had Deepti hung on to a low return chance from Ecclestone while diving to her right. Ecclestone and Davidson-Richards revived England from 128 for 6 with a much-needed fifty stand. Ecclestone scored briskly off the spinners with a few sweeps, including two for fours against Sneh Rana in an 11-run 40th over, while Davidson-Richards rotated the strike by coming down the pitch regularly. But another delivery kept low, this time from Deepti, to strike Ecclestone right in front on the back foot for 31 off 33.Davidson-Richards made sure they survived 50 overs as Dean deftly opened the face of the bat late on the off side for her two fours and also got a life when Goswami spilled a low catch diving forward from short fine leg. Davidson-Richards then went after Deepti in the penultimate over and Meghna in the last to help them collect 45 runs in the last six overs.India lost Shafali Verma for 1 but Bhatia and Mandhana’s 96-run stand kept them ticking at over 5.50 an over. If Bhatia’s innings saw several half chances and edges land safely, Mandhana’s was replete with elegant cover drives that fetched her regular boundaries. She struck three of those in quick succession off Kate Cross and Issy Wong. India were 59 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, having hit 11 fours compared to England’s three in the same period. Conditions looked much better for scoring during the chase and Bhatia cashed in, top-edging a six and clattering three more fours to bring up a 45-ball fifty. She fell immediately after though, when she came down the track and missed one from Dean.Mandhana was confident as ever and along with Harmanpreet eased along with the asking rate around four an over. Harmanpreet took out her trademark sweeps and Mandhana crunched Dean back down the ground for her 24th half-century. England also tried a spin squeeze with Ecclestone, Dean and Lamb but it didn’t work. With a comfortable 71 needed off 20 overs, Harmanpreet scooped Cross for a four and Mandhana smoked Wong over long-on for six to close in on her century, but a cross-batted swipe against Cross resulted in a top edge and Mandhana was caught at mid-on to fall nine short.Only 30 runs left for victory from there, Harmanpreet brought up a patient 80-ball fifty before hitting the winning runs with a sweep for six.

However, the head coach cautions against knee-jerk reactions following the 1-3 T20I series defeat against Pakistan

Firdose Moonda17-Apr-2021Head coach Mark Boucher has accepted “a massive amount of responsibility,” for South Africa losing eight out of their 11 series in his time in charge so far but believes the national men’s team is “on the right path.”Speaking after their 1-3 defeat to Pakistan in the recently concluded T20I series, their second against this opposition in this format this year, Boucher cautioned against knee-jerk reactions to South Africa’s poor form, which has seen them win only one trophy out of a possible six this summer.”I take a massive amount of responsibility and I should. I don’t shy away from it,” Boucher said. “I am hurt, I am extremely hurt at the moment, as is the rest of the management and coaching staff. We put a lot of hard work and effort into this. But there’s no panic from me yet because I do understand that we have been given some trying circumstances over the last period of time and we will continue to put in hard work.”Related

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• A problem of plenty at the top, and plenty of problems elsewhere

South Africa were without a core group of players for both T20I series against Pakistan for reasons beyond Boucher or anyone else in the support staff’s control. In Pakistan, South Africa had to send home members of their Test squad before the T20Is in anticipation of home Tests against Australia, which did not happen. Then, against Pakistan at home, South Africa were without five players who departed for the IPL, based on an agreement between CSA and the BCCI, and captain Temba Bavuma missed the entire series with a hamstring injury. “I am not going to make excuses,” Boucher said. “We’ve still got to try and win with whichever players we put on the park but it has been tough.”Despite that, Boucher was able to see a silver lining. “There have been a lot of positives. With the opportunities that have been given, a couple of guys have come through with flying colours,” he said. “It’s given us a better view of what our depth is like, so I’ve got a fair idea of a larger squad we can look at.”Key South Africa players were not available because of the IPL•BCCI

Now, Boucher hopes to use the winter – which will include a yet-to-be-confirmed tour to the West Indies consisting of two Tests and five T20Is (rescheduled from last year), a white-ball visit to Ireland and a possible trip to Sri Lanka ahead of the T20 World Cup – to distill the bigger group into its strongest components with a focus on major tournaments.”We have to get our squad back together, get all of our players fit and available to play. We always earmarked the West Indian trip as being when our full squad needs to be together,” Boucher said. “Going forward now we need to start looking at the World Cups and start building on a formula we want to play. It’s a matter of getting all the guys together and getting them used to each other and hopefully used to winning a couple of games together.”He acknowledged that South Africa’s results have not been good enough: “I am a guy who wants to win and we haven’t won series which is frustrating for me, the coaching staff and no doubt the public,” he said.Asked if he feels pressure from the mounting scrutiny of his time in charge, which now stands at 18 months with more than two years still to go, Boucher said he trusts in the plans he has put in place.”We’ve stuck to our guns with what we believe is the right way to go about the set-up. We’ve spoken to the players. The players were the ones who originally actually came up with the way that they want to play which is a very nice position for us to be in and we are just going to try and guide them in that direction,” he said. “As I said from the start, there’s a lot of hard work to be done and we are still working very hard in all aspects of our game as well. The pressure is going to be there no matter what. When you get to this level in international sport, you must expect the pressure. If you can’t handle it, then you need to get out of the kitchen. We understand that the public wants to win. We are sticking to our guns.”For now, that means that South Africa are not seeing the next two months as an off season, but a period in which they have to properly prepare themselves for the challenges of the season to come. “I don’t see this little break that we have as any sort of off season. It’s another opportunity for us to get stuck in and really upskill ourselves and get to where we need to be,” Boucher said.

The South Africa batsman has been sidelined from the rest of the MSL with injury

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2019Nelson Mandela Bay Giants’ Farhaan Behardien has been sidelined from the rest of the Mzansi Super League with injury. Thirty-nine-year-old Port Elizabeth-born Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate has been signed as Behardien’s replacement.Behardien brings a wealth of short-format experience, having played more then 350 T20s, including stints in the IPL, Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League and more recently the T10 league in the UAE.Giants have set the early pace this season, claiming four wins in five games to top the points table.”I spent so much time watching cricket in the 1980s in Port Elizabeth,” Ten doeschate said of his South African homecoming. “It’s now an utter privilege that I get to play with a team that is doing so well in this tournament. I think it’s going to be absolutely fantastic and I am really looking forward to it.”Giants’ coach and former South Africa pacer Eric Simons welcomed the value ten Doeschate would add to the side.”When we lost Farhaan we obviously lost a specific talent and we thus needed to find someone who could bring that to the game,” Simons said. “We needed someone who can access the boundaries and perform much like the way we’ve seen with Heino Kuhn. “Ryan brings with him significant experience, calmness and he’s a leader.”Giants will next face Paarl Rocks in a top-of-the-table clash at St George’s Park on November 27.

Shaun Marsh struck his second century in eight days early in the morning session and helped consign South Australia to a five-wicket loss well before tea on the final day

The Report by Alex Malcolm19-Nov-2018Bromance: Mitchell Marsh and Shaun Marsh shake hands•Getty Images

Any doubts about Shaun Marsh’s place in Australia’s Test side have been erased after his masterful 163 not-out helped Western Australia successfully chase down 313 against South Australia at Adelaide Oval.Marsh began the day on 72 not-out with the Warriors still needing 167 with six wickets in hand. Marsh cruised to his second century in eight days early in the morning session.He was savage on any width offered from the Redbacks quicks while he destroyed the legspin of Lloyd Pope, who simply could not find his length.Marsh got ample support from William Bosisto, who stonewalled the Redbacks in the fifth-wicket partnership of 164. Bosisto made 58 from 189 balls with three fours and a six, blunting everything the home side threw at him while Marsh flourished at the other end.Marsh gave the Redbacks one opening when Daniel Worrall took the second new ball. He edged an outswinger that fell inches short of Callum Ferguson at first slip.Bosisto was dismissed by Joe Mennie with 36 runs still needed but Josh Ingles joined Marsh who went past 150. He struck 22 fours and two sixes during his 264-ball innings.The Warriors got home with five wickets to spare well before tea on the final day.

Alex Hales and Jos Buttler will find out next week whether they will be needed for Ashes tour or will be taking up their T20 franchise deals

Andrew McGlashan22-Sep-2017England’s white-ball captain Eoin Morgan has said that he would prefer those players on the fringes of the Test side, but also with T20 deals in leagues around the world, to earn a place on the Ashes tour rather than take up their franchise roles.The Ashes squad will be named next Wednesday and a handful of players in the one-day squad currently on duty against West Indies could be in the mix to fill vacant slots. Heading the list are Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who both have Test experience but have since drifted down the pecking order since their initial runs in the team.Hales and Buttler have T20 contracts secured for November and December – Hales in South Africa’s Global T20 and Buttler in the BPL – but while there has been a push, led by director of England cricket Andrew Strauss, for England’s white-ball cricketers to play more T20 around the world, Morgan could only see one choice as the route they should aim for.”I’d like to see them play in an Ashes series,” he said. “Ashes and World Cups are the pinnacle of our careers so to see guys playing in that format and doing well would boost confidence massively. They have a huge amount of ability in all three formats and if an opportunity presented itself in an Ashes series as opposed to a T20 league, I’d say take the Ashes every time.”If Buttler was to travel to Australia it would be in the back-up keeper role to Jonny Bairstow – although Surrey’s Ben Foakes is currently favoured for that position – while Hales’ name has been floated among those who could push for a spare batting role since his move into the middle order in Nottinghamshire’s Championship team. Steven Finn, who has signed for Pretoria Mavericks in the GLT20, also made a late bid for an Ashes call with 8 for 79 against Lancashire this week. He could come into contention after the injury to Toby Roland-Jones.Hales’ previous spell in the Test team was as an opener in 2016 and it ended after the Pakistan series last summer when he opted out of the tour of Bangladesh, although was likely to be dropped anyway. He scored a double-century in the Championship against Derbyshire last month which, allied to a stellar white-ball season, prompted debate about a Test recall. However, such a move would still come based on a small sample size of seven four-day matches and, besides his 218, he has made 206 runs in eight Championship innings.If performances in one-day cricket are going to be noted in the selection debate then Hales (and Buttler) have one more match, at Bristol on Sunday, to make a statement before the selectors meet to finalise the Ashes party.”I think if I was in Alex’s position I’d just do as much as I can and see if I was selected,” Morgan said. “I think it’s nice he has an alternative plan so it’s not the be-all and end-all for him to be selected for the Ashes. It takes a little bit of the weight off his shoulders. But certainly in the form he’s shown throughout this summer he’s got to be one of the most in-form batsmen in county cricket at the moment.”However, while Morgan is hoping for the best for his team-mates when it comes to Ashes selection, the proximity will have no bearing on the sides selected for the remainder of the one-day series against West Indies, with the captain ruling out standing down the likes of Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Joe Root or Bairstow.”We want to play the best team to win a particular game,” he said. “We feel, given that they will have the whole of October off, we’ve planned for this from the lead-in to the Champions Trophy when they were rested for the South Africa T20 series. We feel the back-end of the Australia tour, the T20 tri-series, could be the opportunity when we’ll look at guys being rested.”