All posts by n8rngtd.top

Jack Wood, a young left-arm wristspinner, has also earned his first contract

Andrew McGlashan24-Jun-2020Queensland could be able to field a formidable batting line-up in the early stages of next season with current and recent internationals jostling with up-coming state talent.Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne should be available until the Test summer starts and will join captain Usman Khawaja, Matt Renshaw, Bryce Street and Sam Heazlett among the top-order options as well as 20-year-old Max Bryant who made his first-class debut late last season, although the depth will be needed when Burns and Labuchagne depart.Street has earned his first full contract after having a rookie deal last year following a solid start in Sheffield Shield cricket where he made 489 runs at 37.61 with his ability to bat long periods of time standing out as he scored two centuries, both coming against Western Australia. Two weeks before his first-class debut he made the highest individual total in Australian 2nd XI cricket with 345 against Victoria.Khawaja will be looking to prove to the Australia selectors that he warrants a recall to the Test side after he was dropped during last year’s Ashes and subsequently lost his central contract in April. Renshaw, meanwhile, has drifting down the national pecking order after a promising start to his Test career.”I think the biggest thing for me is making sure I’m consistently scoring runs, and if I am no-one can drop me and if I bang the door down they have to pick me, and I’m doing well for my state and winning cricket games,” Khawaja said. “That’s the most important thing, but in the end there are somethings you can control and some things you can’t control and I’ve learned that from a long experience of playing cricket, being dropped, I’ve been dropped probably more than anyone has I reckon, that’s playing at the moment.”Batting has been Queensland’s weakness in recent seasons and they have the lowest collective batting average in the last two summers – albeit conditions at the Gabba can be challenge – although last summer’s return of four individual hundreds was an improvement on 2018-19 where they managed just one hundred in the Shield.”We’re pleased that Joe and Marnus have pushed up into the Australian ranks and know that Usman still has much to offer to the national set-up,” coach Wade Seccombe said. “It has been a different pre-season for the group and this summer will no doubt provide us with some unique challenges, but it also presents some exciting opportunities for us all.”Jack Wood, a 23-year-old left-arm wristspinner, is another handed his first full contract after impressive club and 2nd XI returns.Cameron Gannon, the leading wicket-taker in the Shield last season, has moved to Western Australia and Charlie Hemphrey has dropped off the list and moved to Glamorgan in county cricket.Queensland squad Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Joe Burns*, Brendan Doggett, Blake Edwards, Sam Heazlett, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne*, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Lachlan Pfeffer, Jimmy Peirson, Matt Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street, Mitch Swepson, Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood*CA contractRookies Corey Hunter, Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Matthew Willans, Connor Sully

Somerset 114 runs ahead with nine second-innings wickets standing as bowlers thrive at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2020Somerset’s reputation as the “cider boys” precedes them but it took more than flagon of farmhouse special to explain the opening day at Wantage Road where 21 wickets fell and the visitors wound up leading by 114.Having won the toss on a searingly hot day, Somerset were 114 for 9, then rallied to 166 before Northants, steady at 46 for 1, collapsed to only 67. The visitors then closed then 15 for 1 in their second innings with Tom Lammonby out twice in the day.In a way it was rather typical of Somerset whose previous few seasons have featured vulnerable batting but relentless bowling.With few runs on the board, their response to Ben Curran’s six early boundaries was emphatic. It was led by Craig Overton, whose 11 overs claimed 4 for 12 with six maidens. Northants’ middle order simply could not score against any of the four-man attack nor resist a series of excellent deliveries.Emilio Gay failed to leave Craig Overton in time and edged behind before Jack Brooks’ direct hit from midwicket ran out Ricardo Vasconcelos and Curran felt at one from Josh Davey that held its line and was taken at third slip.Davey then sent one jagging back at Rob Keogh who was lbw offering no stroke and Brooks’ movement away from the righter hander pinned Charlie Thurston on the boot.There was no let up. Bounce from first Craig then Jamie Overton had Adam Rossington and Gareth Berg caught behind the wicket and a Davey inswinger beat Procter’s inside edge to win another lbw. Davey finished with 3 for 23.Until then, they day had begun to provide an answer to a burning question about Ben Sanderson. Only two bowlers have taken more County Championship wickets than Sanderson since 2016 but the men ahead of him have claimed the majority of theirs in Division One, leaving one wondering how Sanderson might fare against seemingly superior batsmen. He provided an early indication as he took 5 for 28.Somerset might not present the most solid order in the country – only two sides in Division One earned fewer batting points last season and Glamorgan had them 149 for 8 in the first innings last week – but this is still a line-up that almost won the Championship. Therefore Sanderson’s 13th first-class five-wicket haul takes on greater significance.He began with a nip-backer that took Lammonby’s off stump as he shouldered arms and removed another left-hander in the over before lunch as Steve Davies drove loosely to be bowled.After the break, he called Rossington to stand up for James Hildreth. The plan worked within two balls as Hildreth feathered a length delivery. Craig Overton, having struck three boundaries, then nicked one that held its line to fourth slip and Jamie Overton looped a full ball to mid-off from a leading edge as he looked to work to leg.Sanderson had a fresh new-ball partner in Brandon Glover. There are few for whom lockdown was a blessing but Glover is perhaps one of them. The enforced delay to his Northants debut allowed him extended recovery time from the ankle injury with which he arrived in the UK. Fully fit and with hunger to impress no doubt having grown, he enjoyed an excellent first outing for his new team, taking 2 for 49.It took Glover nine balls to strike but he had Eddie Byrom to thank for his maiden Northants wicket as the left-hander slashed at a wide length ball, feet cemented in his pre-delivery stance, and edged to Rossington. He second, nine balls later, was not exactly by design either as Tom Abell was strangled down the leg side.They were about to be embarrassed at 114 for 9 before Brooks, back at the club where he started his career, three times carved boundaries over the slips in a merry 36. And by day’s end it was cheers all round for the West Countrymen, who held a commanding position.

England seamer is not ready to call it quits just yet after landmark achievement

George Dobell28-Jul-2020Of course Stuart Broad had the final word. Of course, at the end of a series he has dominated since his spell with the second new ball on the fourth evening of the second Test, it was his wicket that sealed the series.Some might argue that Broad dominated the series even before he was selected. His omission from the side for the first Test so disappointed him that he made the unusual decision to give an interview midway through a game in which he was not involved to express his frustration. He also suggested he was bowling as well as ever.It’s one thing to talk a good game; it’s quite another to back it with performances. And, over the last couple of weeks, Broad has proved his point more eloquently than his words ever could. The upshot is, a campaign that started with him struggling to get into the side has finished with him being named player of the series. The third Test produced his best innings analysis since 2016 and both his best match analysis and highest innings since 2013.Back to his best? Well, maybe. In truth, he is a slightly different bowler to the man who was winning Tests for England a decade ago. Certainly not worse; just different. For while he was once capable of delivering genuinely quick spells and tended to hit just back of a length, he now pitches a yard or so fuller and nags away on off stump like an unpaid bill. He’s not quite as quick but he has just finished his third series out of four (the Ashes and the South Africa tour were the others) as England’s leading wicket-taker.Where once he was inclined to resort to the bouncer just a bit too quickly, it’s almost as if his slightly diminished pace has forced him to find different ways to defeat batsmen. As a result, he’s become a more sophisticated bowler. It’s hardly surprising he has no intention of calling it a day just yet.”You always hear ex-sportsmen saying they knew when it was time to go,” Broad said. “They say they lost that feeling.”Well, I’ve still got it in abundance. A couple of weeks ago I was in a bit of a thinking place. I couldn’t leave a cricket ground where I’d been left out. I thought ‘where am I going here?'”But I’m glad I stayed strong because I’m very happy two weeks later.”I feel I’m bowling as well as I ever have. I’ve done some technical work and changed my run-up in the last 18 months. I’m challenging the stumps and trying to make the batsmen play as much as possible. That’s a tactical thing that’s really taken me to a really exciting level.Stuart Broad claims his 500th Test wicket•Getty Images

“I felt like my alignment to the stumps was really good in this game. I had a bit of confidence and match practice from the second Test so my tempo and alignment felt like every time I released the ball I could bring off stump into play.”That’s my go-to: I want to make the batsman play. I don’t like to get left too often. When you come on a pitch with a little bit of wear that’s keeping low, that’s sort of my dream pitch. Most fast bowlers like it flying through, catching the edge and going to slip at chest height but if I can bring the stumps into play, it really suits my style.”If Broad required any inspiration for the pursuit of sporting excellence in his mid-30s, he doesn’t have far to look. James Anderson’s hunger to pick up new skills and his dedication to his fitness have carried him to the brink of 600 Test wickets. Broad doesn’t rule out pushing on to the same milestone.”Jimmy is my idol on that,” Broad said. “He turns 38 during this break we have now. He’s someone I have watched very closely and has been a great friend of mine for many years.”Also, the way he has maintained himself and kept upskilling himself to be able to not just compete but get better at this level. You look at both of our records over the last few years, we are actually improving. Compare my last 18 months to my career record, it’s way better. It’s a great sign.ALSO READ: Stuart Broad, England’s spring-heeled superstar“It is easy to get to 34 and start thinking ‘I’ll do what I have done for the last 13 years and be okay’. But I’m looking for the next step that will improve me as a cricketer. That keeps you moving forward as a cricketer.”If you’d asked me four years ago, ‘at 34 do you think you could play another three or four years?’ I’d have said absolutely not. Now I’m 34 and I feel fit. Post-lockdown my fitness testing was the best it’s ever been. I feel excited.”I’m not someone who sets targets. I never said I really want to get to 500 wickets or 600 wickets. But at the moment I feel fresh, I feel fit. I’m bowling how I want to be bowling. If I keep bowling the way I am for the next few years then I wouldn’t rule anything out.”But his greatest attribute, he says, is not his height, his experience or his seam position.”My defining quality? I never give up,” he said. “It probably comes from my Mum. I feel like we can win from any situation. The most recent time when that came through was in Cape Town at tea. I can’t remember how many wickets we needed but we were slogging away for a long period of time.Stuart Broad, England’s man of the series, braves the rain at Old Trafford•Getty Images

“I knew deep down that if we kept applying pressure, South Africa would crack. That’s the mindset which helped us win that Test match.”I’ve never shied away from intimidating moments. I really enjoy moments when the game need changing. I want to be the person to do it. I want to be the person to get thrown the ball or go into bat when we need to change the momentum of the game.”All of which begs the question: why was Broad left out of the side for the first Test?England’s rotation of their seamers was one of the key differences in the series. With each of them bowling in a maximum of two games, they looked fit and fresh right to the end. West Indies’ trio of fast bowlers, by contrast, played in all three matches and looked close to exhaustion some time ago. It was not especially controversial, really. England’s strength in seam-bowling depth is a huge asset, even if it does make for awkward selection meetings at times.It’s also highly likely the same policy will be used in the series against Pakistan. Which means there may be days when other high-profile players – the likes of Anderson and Jofra Archer, included – will be rotated. And yes, there will be days, particularly in the conditions anticipated this winter, when Broad is left out once again. Sometimes the word ‘dropped’ can be a bit emotive.”Let’s be honest, we have so many fast bowlers if you’re not taking wickets you’re probably not going to play,” Broad said. “It keeps the standard high.”There were echoes of Fred Trueman when Broad was asked whether anyone else could achieve the 500 Test wicket milestone. Trueman, on reaching the 300 landmark, famously quipped that if anyone else achieved it they would be “bloody tired”. Broad’s point was more that modern seam bowlers might not have the opportunity to play enough games.While Nathan Lyon, who currently has 390 wickets, would appear to have a chance, the next highest wicket-taker among current seamers is Ishant Sharma who, at 31 years of age, has 297. It is entirely possible Broad will be the last seamer to reach the figure.”You need a lot of Test matches to get 500 wickets,” Broad said. “I think there’ll be people who have the talent to get the numbers, but whether a seamer will be able to play the amount of Test cricket to get that feat remains to be seen. There is a lot of competition out there between different T20 leagues franchises.”There’s talk of thinning the amount of Tests down. I feel very lucky to have played for England in an era where we’ve played a lot of Test cricket.”England have been lucky to have him, too. And only a fool would suggest there aren’t a few pages in the story left to be told.

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will be held in Karachi; domestic season to begin September 30

Umar Farooq04-Sep-2020With three ICC tournaments due to be played over the next two years, Pakistan have doubled the number of white-ball games in their domestic structure. The National T20 Cup, ODI Cup and the Under-19 one-day tournament will now be played in a double round-robin league format.The PCB has announced a full season with six associations aiming to showcase their ability to form bio-secure bubbles to attract international teams. Pakistan are slated to host Zimbabwe and South Africa over the next six months.With an apparent decline in covid cases in Pakistan, the PCB in August principally decided to resume professional cricket after a 24-week hiatus. The PCB has opened up training facilities at its National High-Performance Centre (NHPC) in Lahore, while maintaining a strictly controlled environment.They have also issued an advisory to restart the sport at the grassroots and recreational level with adequate safety measures in place. The situation around Covid-19 in Pakistan is nearly under control, and a sense of normalcy has begun to return. Tourism, stores and malls, restaurants and public transportation have already opened up, and educational institutes are likely be operational in phases from September 15.The season is set to start from September 30 with the National T20 Cup, played over two legs, in Multan or Rawalpindi. The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, with both first XI and second XI, will be held entirely in Karachi across six venues with the format unchanged. However, with teams not needed to travel inter-city for matches, the gaps between matches have been reduced by, resulting in the tournament having a total length of 72 days as compared to 104 in the previous season.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

All white-ball tournaments across all levels were played on a single-league basis until the previous season. However, the presence of three ICC events over the next two years have forced a change. This new structure will allow each side to play minimum of 10 league matches in each white-ball competition. Teams making the semi-finals and finals will get additional games. Tournaments involving the second XIs will continue to be single-league format.”In the uncertain Covid-19 situation, I am pleased that we have been able to put together a complete domestic cricket schedule,” said Nadeem Khan, director High Performance. “It is challenging, but this will contribute significantly in getting the best out of all the players that, in turn, will uplift the quality and standard of our home cricket. There has been a strategy and vision behind preparing this schedule, and the most notable is the increase in number of white-ball matches at the senior and age-group level.”The increase in number of matches will not only provide a fair and equal opportunity to all the talented players, it will increase their earnings too. This is something we have been very mindful of and careful about since the revamp of the domestic structure. This has been done after taking into consideration our team’s current international performances and rankings in white-ball cricket as well as with a look into the future. All this while also providing optimum chances to the deserving and budding cricketers to thoroughly show their mettle and impress the national selectors.”Until July, there was considerable doubt over the possibility of the season, with Pakistan recording around 275,000 covid cases. The curve started to flatten even as the PCB briefly considered the possibility of postponing the season. However, with the cases coming under control, the PCB has decided to go ahead to form bio-bubbles to conduct the domestic season.As such, the postponement wasn’t going to cost PCB much financially since they spent over a billion rupees from their own kitty, knowing fully well they wouldn’t be able to leverage much commercially. Any delay or postponement as such would have however cost a year to the next batch of Under-19 players in the system.

Jofra Archer reached a career-best tenth on the latest ODI rankings for bowlers

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2020England’s Chris Woakes has jumped to a career-best ranking of fourth in the latest ICC ODI rankings for bowlers. Ahead of Woakes on the bowling charts are Trent Boult – who leads the rankings with 722 rating points – Jasprit Bumrah and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.On the back of his six wickets and 89 runs in the series against Australia, he has also moved to second on the list of ODI allrounders, going past Imad Wasim, Ben Stokes and Colin de Grandhomme. The man ahead of Woakes on the allrounders chart is Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi.Woakes’ team-mate Jonny Bairstow, the highest run-scorer from the ODI series, moved into the top 10 for ODI batsmen once again while Jofra Archer – who had a Player-of-the-Match performance in the second ODI – moved 18 positions to a career-best ranking of tenth for ODI bowlers. Also making a move up on the bowling charts was Australia’s Josh Hazlewood; he jumped from 15th to eighth after his four-wicket return in ODI series.The other significant movers were the Australian trio of Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey in the batting rankings and legspinner Adam Zampa in the bowling rankings. The match-winning centuries from Maxwell and Carey in the third ODI have moved them up to 26th and 28th respectively. Zampa’s ten-wicket haul in the series moved him to 21st.India’s Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still hold the top two positions in the ODI batting rankings. After them comes Pakistan’s Babar Azam at third. The Australia openers Aaron Finch and David Warner are seventh and eighth respectively. With less than a hundred runs each in the ODI series, Joe Root slipped to 13th while Bairstow’s opening partner Jason Roy dropped to 18th.Click here for the full ICC rankings.

Bangladesh’s new High Performance coach turns up the speed on the bowling machine at camp

Mohammad Isam29-Oct-2020Two years ago in the West Indies, Toby Radford witnessed two contrasting sides of the Bangladesh team. That first-hand experience has, in turn, convinced him that his first focus as the BCB’s High Performance (HP) head coach has to be strengthening the batsmen’s techniques against good fast bowling.Bangladesh were bowled out for 43 against West Indies in the first Test in 2018 and couldn’t even reach 200 in any innings during the series. But Radford, then West Indies’ batting coach, saw how they bounced back to win both the ODI and the T20I series, something which made it clear to him where their priorities lay.Having started the HP unit’s training camp a few days ago, Radford has already revved up the bowling machine and used the throwdown dogstick with maximum speed. The camp will finish before next month’s proposed T20 tournament, after which they will reconvene next year ahead of a possible Ireland A tour to Bangladesh in February.Radford says he wants to find out who the batsmen with the best techniques are, so that in a few years they can stand up to good fast bowling at the highest level.”I was with the West Indies team when we played Bangladesh two years ago. [Both the] Tests were over in three days,” Radford said. “The pace of Shannon Gabriel and the rest of the fast bowlers blew away Bangladesh’s top order. Then we saw a very different Bangladesh side with the white-ball formats. They won both the ODIs and the T20I series. I have told the board that I want to create a group of players that can really stand up in Test cricket. They can be technically tight, face 90 miles an hour bowling and bat for five hours. They can bowl in long spells.”ALSO READ: Bangladesh hope changing perspectives towards legspin finally earns long-awaited rewardsIn order to improve their skills in Test cricket, he also wants Bangladesh’s batsmen to show courage and respect the good balls. “I threw balls for four hours this morning, and I had a bloke throwing at them at 90 miles an hour. The idea was to test them for five-day cricket. You have to leave balls and get behind balls. Duck under them, be gutsy, get forward. It is a test of what you want in Test cricket. It is the focus at the moment. The T20 and 50-over stuff comes later.”I want to see the high-end players first. Let’s get the chassis of the car built before we get the alloys. I’d like to see Bangladesh be really competitive in Tests, but not just in Bangladesh. The only way you can play against Mitchell Starc in Australia is if you turn the bowling machine up and really get people used to it and techniques to cope with it. It is my whole philosophy.”Radford’s other focus is to expose the HP players to different conditions, for which he is asking the BCB to arrange a tour to England in the next English summer.”There will be another training block at the end of January leading into Ireland A, who are meant to be coming. It is not confirmed yet, nothing is due to Covid-19. After that, I [have] told the board that I’d be keen to tour England, where bowlers can learn to bowl on green wickets that offer seam and swing. Batters can learn to play on them.”It will be a good test for them in not easy conditions. If these players go on to the international side, at some point they will be facing Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes at Lord’s. I need them to be there before and get used to playing on pitches that seam around, and when it swings. It is tough, and the only way you get used to it is [by] practising.”

Laura Kimmince smashed 40 not out from 17 balls to take Brisbane Heat home, while Annabel Sutherland and Carly Leeson produced career-bests as both Melbourne teams notched wins

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2020A stunning display of hitting from Laura Kimmince helped the Brisbane Heat steal victory from the Perth Scorchers and put them one step closer to a guaranteed finals berth.The Heat slumped to 5 for 87 in the 15th over chasing the Scorchers’ target of 138. That left the Heat needing 50 from 34 balls with just five wickets in hand. But Kimmince, who delivered a 10-ball 23 in a winning chase against Sydney Sixers on Tuesday, produced another staggering cameo smashing an unbeaten 40 from just 17 balls to see her side home with four balls to spare.Some of her strokeplay was breathtaking. Sarah Glenn had done all the damage for the Scorchers taking three of the first five wickets and was brought on in the 18th over with the Heat still needing 27 to win from 18 balls. Kimmince switch-hit the England spinner over point for six and swept her conventionally behind square for four in consecutive balls.Glenn knocked over Amelia Kerr to finish with 4 for 31 but the damage was done. Kimmince clubbed two more boundaries off Heather Graham at the start of the 19th over to leave just 8 runs to win from 10 balls. Charli Knott hit the winning runs with four balls to spare.Earlier, Kimmince also played her part in the field taking a spectacular one-handed diving catch at backward point to remove the Scorchers stand-in skipper Beth Mooney. The left-hander was cruising on 49 with the Scorchers on track to post a score above 150. But Kimmince’s freakish catch stalled all momentum as Kerr, Jess Jonassen, and Grace Harris squeezed the Scorchers lower order taking five wickets between them. Mathilda Carmichael made 35 from 23 balls to drag the total up to 8 for 137 after five Scorchers batters fell for single-figure scores.Annabel Sutherland lofts over the off side•Getty Images

A career-best 72 from Annabel Sutherland led the Melbourne Stars to an easy win over Hobart Hurricanes at Hurstville Oval.Sutherland was promoted up the order to bat at No.3 and took full advantage making her maiden half-century in the WBBL.Sutherland and Elyse Villani combined for a 120-run stand that began in the sixth over after the fall of Meg Lanning and ran all the way until the 20th over. Villani produced her second half-century of the tournament, making 56 from 47 balls with three fours and two sixes. But she played second fiddle to Sutherland. The 19-year-old cracked five fours and two sixes. Both Villani and Sutherland fell to Belinda Vakarewa in the final over with Vakarewa finishing with tidy figures of 2 for 28.The Hurricanes never got close in the chase with only two of the top six, Rachel Priest and Chloe Tryon, striking at the required rate. Katherine Brunt took 2 for 12 from her four overs while Sophie Day picked up 2 for 24. The pair combined for the unusual dismissal of Tryon. Brunt took the catch on the deep midwicket rope but not without drama. The ball initially burst through her and split her lip open, yet she somehow clung onto the rebound before heading off for some minor treatment. Sutherland also took a wicket to claim the Player-of-the-Match honours.The win ensured the Stars will finish on top of the WBBL table, with two games still to play, while the Hurricanes will almost certainly miss the finals.Sophie Molineux drives on the up•Getty Images

Three wickets to Carly Leeson and a half-century from Sophie Molineux helped the Melbourne Renegades to a comfortable seven-wicket win at the Sydney Showgrounds, delivering a huge blow to the Adelaide Strikers’ finals hopes in the process.The Renegades had won just two games coming in and the Strikers needed a win to maintain a spot in the top four but a dismal batting display saw the Strikers crawl to just 7 for 122. Leeson produced career-best bowling figures as she strangled the Strikers and removed two of their best players in Laura Wolvaardt and Stafanie Taylor. Wolvaardt produced some stunning strokes in her 36 but did struggle for fluency as she chewed 40 balls. Madeline Penna, fresh off a dazzling match-winning half-century on Tuesday, only faced 13 balls and she smacked two sixes and two fours to make 26 not out but it wasn’t enough.The Renegades made light work of the chase. Molineux and Lizelle Lee cruised to a 77-run opening stand with Lee making 48. Molineux kicked on to a classy half-century but fell with just 13 runs needed. The Renegades won with 16 balls to spare and seven wickets in hand to move off the bottom of the table.Alyssa Healy brings out the big hits•Getty Images

The Sydney Sixers ended a five-match losing streak to stay in the qualification race, clinching a nail-biting four-run win against the Sydney Thunder at the Sydney Showground Stadium. Alyssa Healy had provided the batting firepower up front, and the Sixers were well on top when a stunning counter-attack by Phoebe Litchfield took the game till the final ball, but offspinner Erin Burns ensured there wouldn’t be a miracle win for the Thunder.Put in to bat, the Sixers were driven by Healy’s attacking 22-ball 44 at the top of the order. Healy did almost all the scoring in a 55-run opening stand with captain Ellyse Perry (28 off 26). Dane van Niekerk (45 off 39) and Perry kept the scoring healthy after Healy fell, but a collapse in the death overs meant the Sixers finished short of where they might have expected to. They were 2 for 129 with four overs to go, but ended up on 7 for 147.Sammy Jo-Johnson did most of the damage with her 3 for 25, while Shabnim Ismail had struck the key blows earlier, having got both openers.The Thunder’s chase lacked momentum at the start, with regular wickets keeping the scoring in check. At 5 for 81, with 67 needed off 36, the game seemed to have slipped out of their grasp. Litchfield, on 11 off 18 at that point, then found her range as she went on to smash 35 off her next 18 balls.It came down to Burns, who had already taken two wickets, bowling the last over with 18 to get. The first two balls yielded only one run, but Litchfield then hit three successive fours to bring the equation to five needed off the final ball. Burns had the final say as Litchfield was castled last ball, for 46 off 36, giving the Sixers a thrilling win.

Left-arm seamer added just hours before series opener after Saini complained of back spasm

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-20204:37

T Natarajan’s long journey to IPL stardom

T Natarajan, the Tamil Nadu and Sunrisers Hyderabad left-arm seamer, has been added to India’s ODI squad, just hours before the series opener, as cover for Navdeep Saini. According to a BCCI media release, Saini had complained of “back spasm.”Natarajan wasn’t in any of the white-ball squads in the first place, but an injury to his state-mate Varun Chakravarthy got him his maiden national call-up for the T20I leg of the Australia tour.ALSO READ: Kohli: Younger players will feature a lot in Australia tourNatarajan excelled in the death overs for the Sunrisers in IPL 2020 in the UAE, bowling 71 yorkers during this phase, more than double the next best. He conceded 57 off these 71 deliveries – at an economy of 4.81 – while picking up five wickets, including that of AB de Villiers in the Eliminator against the Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore.Natarajan has played 15 List A matches so far, picking up 16 wickets at an average of 30.81 and economy rate of 4.30. His rise has been remarkable because it’s unusual for the selectors to pick an uncapped 29-year-old. The last two fast bowlers to make their international debuts for India after 29 were S Aravind in 2015 and Pankaj Singh in 2014. Prior to that, one has to go back to 1994, when Bhupinder Singh Snr. made his ODI debut, and then all the way back to 1958, when Ghulam Guard played the first of his two Tests.Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur are the other frontline seam-bowling options for India in their ODI squad.

Still permitted to play, Lynn and Lawrence will need to prepare separately from the rest of the two teams

Daniel Brettig14-Dec-2020Chris Lynn, the Brisbane Heat captain, and Dan Lawrence, one of the club’s overseas signings, will be physically distanced from the rest of the team and opponents in Monday night’s fixture against the Sydney Thunder as Cricket Australia investigates a potential Covid-19 protocol breach by the two players in Canberra on Saturday.Both Lynn and Lawrence have tested negative for Covid-19 since their possible breach was discovered. While still permitted to play, they will need to prepare separately from the rest of the two teams and not take part in any close huddles or celebrations over the course of the game, as they are for the time being considered to be outside the strict biosecure hub all BBL players are meant to be cocooned within for the balance of the tournament.The possible breach relates to Lynn and Lawrence socialising together in public on Saturday night, a circumstance that is not necessarily a breach because players are permitted to dine in public, provided they are sitting outside. It is the first significant instance of CA needing to investigate a possible contravention of hub protocols, after numerous such instances in the winter football codes in Australia earlier this year.There has been tension among some players and coaches and CA’s administrators over the strictness of hub protocols for the BBL, given the low level of Covid-19 infections in the general Australian community at present, something that has also allowed state borders to re-open. However, the decision to allow Lynn and Lawrence to play also reflects how the BBL could ill-afford to lose two of its bigger names as it struggles against perceptions of a weaker than usual roster of talent.”It is important we maintain the integrity of the bio-secure hub to ensure the safety of the public, players, staff and officials and minimise issues associated with travel between state borders during the tournament,” CA’s head of integrity Sean Carroll said. “While we are fortunate to live in a country with a low rate of infection compared with many other parts of the world, we are still in the midst of a global pandemic and, as we’ve seen on a number of occasions in Australia, COVID-19 breakouts and border closures remain a genuine risk.”We are always monitoring the public health situation and attempting to strike the appropriate bio-security balance between keeping everyone safe on both sides of the hub and providing as much freedom as possible for those within it. We appreciate that this has been a challenging year for everyone, but we must insist on our bio-security measures being respected and followed so as not to jeopardise public health and safety or the viability of the tournament.”CA’s chief medical officer, John Orchard, explained that there had already been multiple instances this summer where players have taken part in BBL practice games while not being a part of the biosecure hubs created for the tournament.”We’re confident this will be successfully achieved again tonight at Manuka Oval,” Orchard said. “They must maintain a physical distance on and particularly off the field (indoors) with team-mates, opposing players, staff and match officials. We have protocols in place for all matches for interaction between those inside and outside the hub.”Factors including the outdoor nature of the contest, the generally socially-distanced nature of cricket on-field and the fact Canberra is considered a low-risk city support the conclusion that both can play tonight without posing a meaningful risk.”

India are playing the Brisbane Test with their most inexperienced bowling attack since 1933

Sidharth Monga15-Jan-2021India’s desperate luck with injuries continued, as Navdeep Saini walked off with a groin strain after bowling just 7.5 overs on the first day of the Gabba Test. He was taken for scans in the afternoon.With four Test caps between them, Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and the two debutants T Natarajan and Washington Sundar anyway made up India’s least experienced Test attack since 1933. From the Sydney Test, where they were already depleted, India lost Jasprit Bumrah to an abdominal strain, R Ashwin to back spasms, and Ravindra Jadeja to a broken thumb, taking out the only survivors from India’s first-choice attack.In hindsight, there was consolation in India’s team selection: they had picked five bowlers, including four quicks. In the morning, India made the unusual move of giving a Test debut to a reserve spinner, Washington Sundar, who was held back for help in the nets, ahead of the specialist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been with the squad all along. It was perhaps done to shorten the tail, but at the same time, four fast bowlers covered for their inexperience.So when Saini did go off, India did still have four bowlers to operate with.India’s absentee list now reads: Ishant Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul, Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, Umesh Yadav, Bumrah and Ashwin, with an update on Saini awaited.