Stats highlights from India’s thrilling victory against England at The Oval
Sampath Bandarupalli04-Aug-2025
Mohammed Siraj was named Player of the Match•Associated Press
6 – India’s margin of victory in the fifth Test against England at The Oval, is their narrowest in Tests in terms of runs. The previous record was 13 runs while defending 107 against Australia in Mumbai in 2004.The six-run margin is also the joint-third-narrowest defeat for England in Tests.332 – England’s score at the fall of their fifth wicket in their chase of 374. Only once before has a team scored so many runs for their first five partnerships and still lost. England were 346 for 5 in a 463-run chase against Australia at the MCG in 1977, but lost by 45 runs.Related
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2 – Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are the second India pair to take four or more wickets in both innings of a Test. Bishan Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna did it against Australia in Delhi in 1969.Siraj and Prasidh’s performance at The Oval was the 15th instance of two bowlers taking four-fors in both innings for a team, and the first since Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann for England against India in Mumbai in 2012-13.23 – Wickets for Siraj in the series against England, the joint-highest for an India bowler in a Test series in England, level with Jasprit Bumrah’s 23 wickets in 2021-22.Harry Brook walks back after making his maiden fourth-innings hundred•Getty Images195 – The partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook is the second-highest in the fourth innings of a Test to end in a defeat. The highest is 204, between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant against England in 2018, also at The Oval.Root and Brook are only the seventh pair to score hundreds in the fourth innings of a Test and end on the losing side. Rahul and Pant in 2018 were the last of the previous six.4 – Consecutive Test series that England have failed to win against India. Their previous series win against India came in 2018, when they won 4-1 at home. England’s longest streak without a series win against India is five, between 1996 and 2011.1-10 – India’s win-loss record in the fifth and sixth matches of an away Test series. Before the six-run win at The Oval, India had lost ten of 17 such matches, while seven ended in draws. At home, India have a 7-4 record in 27 such Tests.
The 48 hours before the 2025 MLB trade deadline were hectic, with a ton of movement from contending teams looking to improve their roster. Nearly two months later, it has become clear which teams won and lost at the deadline.
The flurry of activity before the deadline on July 31 didn't produce great results for every team, but some have hit the jackpot, and their additions fueled their sprint to the postseason. What follows is a look at the players who have solidified themselves as the best trade deadline pickups this year.
10. Kyle Finnegan, Tigers
Finnegan was having a wobbly season for the Nationals when the Tigers acquired him on deadline day in exchange for pitchers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales. He has been lights out ever since.
In 40 games for the Nationals, the 34-year-old reliever was 1–4 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP, with 20 saves in 26 opportunities. Since Detroit acquired him, he’s been dominant, going 3–0 with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.42 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts against three walks in 14 1/3 innings over 12 appearances. He also has four saves without blowing one. Unfortunately, an adductor injury has sidelined him for most of September, but he appears close to a return.
Before the deadline, I identified a high-leverage reliever as Detroit’s biggest need. Finnegan has filled that role. His injury is the only thing dragging this ranking down.
9. David Bednar, Yankees
The Yankees also needed relief help at the deadline and found it in Bednar. New York landed the two-time All-Star from the Pirates in exchange for Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez and Brian Sanchez. He has rewarded them by helping solidify their previously erratic bullpen. Fellow deadline acquisitions Jake Bird and Camilo Doval have produced mixed results, but Bednar has been excellent.
In 17 appearances for the Yankees, the 30-year-old is 3–0 with a 2.75 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts against six walks in 19 2/3 innings. Bednar has eight saves in 11 chances, and opposing batters are slashing .181/.244/.319 against him. He has only allowed four runs since Aug. 4, and hasn't blown a save since Aug. 20, when the Yankees rallied to get him a win after he gave up two runs against the Rays.
Bednar is under team control through next season, and the Yankees will happily keep him as their closer moving forward after Devin Williams's mess of a season.
8. Miguel Andújar, Reds
The Reds acquired Andújar from the A’s at the deadline in what was an under-the-radar move. He had been solid up to that point in the season, slashing .298/.329/.436 with six home runs and 27 RBIs in 60 games, but he exploded upon joining the Reds.
In 26 games with Cincinnati, Andújar is slashing .351/.405/.545, with three homers and 15 RBIs. His .950 OPS and 161 wRC+ are outstanding. Unfortunately, a lingering quad injury has limited his availability, which has knocked this pickup down the list. He’ll hit free agency after the season, so this could be a brief pairing. When he’s been available, Andújar has been excellent, though.
7. Leo De Vries, Athletics
This is a bit of a curveball because I’m adding a minor leaguer who won’t see the big leagues for quite a while, but De Vries is a special case. The Athletics were part of the biggest deal at the deadline when they sent Mason Miller and JP Sears to the Padres in exchange for prospects. De Vries was the headliner. The 18-year-old is a consensus top-five prospect in baseball as a shortstop with elite skills at the plate. Many, including myself, couldn’t believe San Diego traded him. It’s looking like a move the Padres will come to regret, no matter how good Miller is for them.
The A’s bumped De Vries to Double A in mid-August, and he has gone on a tear. In 21 games, he has slashed .281/.359/.551 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. He posted a wRC+ of 144 in that span. Just as a reminder, he won’t turn 19 until next month. He has incredible plate discipline, and his power has continued to increase as he has climbed the minor league ladder. It’s not a stretch to think he could be in the big leagues by next summer, though 2027 is a more likely target.
The Athletics appear to have a future star on their hands thanks to a savvy deal at the deadline that, yes, moved an All-Star, but may have gotten them a future cornerstone. Speaking of the guy he was traded for…
6. Mason Miller, Padres
To land Miller, the Padres shipped a king's ransom to … Sacramento? Las Vegas? What are we going with here? He’s one of the game’s elite relievers and added to an already strong bullpen, which made the deal puzzling. Regardless of the price paid to land him, Miller has been even better than advertised since arriving.
The 27-year-old has been on the mound for the Padres 18 times and boasts a 0.93 ERA, a WHIP of 0.67 and 36 strikeouts against six walks in 19 1/3 innings. He has only allowed two runs, both came in his second appearance for the team on Aug. 5. Since then, he has authored 16 scoreless outings while mostly acting as the setup man for All-Star closer Robert Suárez. Opposing hitters are batting .115 off of him with an OPS of .358 since the trade.
It remains to be seen what the Padres’ plans for Miller are long-term. He came up to the big leagues as a starter and is under team control through 2029. They could transition him back to that role. If not, they will have an elite reliever under team control for a long time. They paid a high price for it, but he has lived up to his billing so far.
Since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline, Duran leads all closers with 15 saves. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
5. Jhoan Duran, Phillies
One of two Twins-to-Phillies deals that has worked out great for Philadelphia (more on the other later). Duran was one of the best closers in baseball with Minnesota, so he was costly, as the Phillies sent Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait to the Twins in exchange for him on July 30. It was a risky deal, but Philly desperately needed bullpen help. Duran has provided it.
In 20 appearances with the Phillies, Duran is 1–2 with a 1.53 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts against one walk in 17 2/3 innings. He has 15 saves in 17 chances, and opposing batters are slashing .197/.209/.288 against him.
The hard-throwing 27-year-old features one of baseball’s best splitters and should be a huge piece of the puzzle if the Phillies make a deep postseason run. Duran is also under team control through the 2027 season, so the move should continue to pay off for the next few years.
4. Carlos Correa, Astros
In one of the more shocking deals at the deadline, the Astros re-acquired Correa, who was drafted by the franchise and spent the first seven years of his career there. As the Twins worked to clear out most of their roster, Houston took advantage and landed the three-time All-Star (and most of his big contract) in exchange for prospect Matt Mikulski. It has been an excellent fit.
The 30-year-old slid right into the lineup as the team’s starting third baseman and has provided excellent defense while hitting consistently. In 43 games, he’s slashing .295/.354/.439 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and a wRC+ of 123. The 1.4 fWAR Correa has produced is tied with Bader as the most for any player swapped at the deadline. The only thing holding him back from being higher on this list is a BABIP of .354, which means his numbers are likely a bit inflated, plus the nearly $70 million the Astros will owe him through 2028.
Correa’s return to the Astros has been a nice story, and his .860 lifetime playoff OPS should come in handy in a few weeks (though some of that may or may not have been trash can aided).
3. Tyler Kinley, Braves
Kinley was on no one’s radar before the trade deadline, but Atlanta scooped him up on July 30 in a deal for minor leaguer Austin Smith. The Braves are far removed from playoff contention but have made several moves with next season in mind, including claiming Ha-seong Kim off waivers from the Rays. The deal for Kinley fits that mold. The 34-year-old has been one of baseball's best relievers since the trade.
Before moving to Atlanta, Kinley was 1–3 with a 5.66 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP and 51 strikeouts against 27 walks in 47 2/3 innings. In 19 outings for the Braves, he's 5–0 with a 0.45 ERA, a 0.70 WHIP and 19 strikeouts against six walks in 20 innings. Opposing hitters have an OPS of just .313 against him in that time. Kinley has allowed a single run since moving to Atlanta, and that came on Aug. 5. He’s currently working on a 16-outing scoreless streak. He has been a different pitcher since leaving Coors Field in his rearview.
The Braves hold a $5 million club option on Kinley for 2026, and it feels like a no-brainer for them to pick that up.
2. Ramón Laureano, Padres
Laureano was having an excellent season in Baltimore and has continued his trajectory since the Padres acquired him along with Ryan O’Hearn in exchange for six prospects on July 31. In 82 games with the Orioles, the 31-year-old outfielder was slashing .290/.355/.529 with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. Since joining the Padres, that slash line is similar at .279/.333/.515, plus he’s added nine home runs and 30 RBIs. In Baltimore, his wRC+ was 144; in San Diego, it stands at 143. He has not fallen off one bit since the move.
In San Diego, Laureano has already produced 0.9 WAR. His addition accomplished two things: it lengthened the Padres’ previously top-heavy lineup and solidified what had been a black hole in left field. The fact that he carries an affordable $6.5 million club option for 2026 makes this pickup look even better.
1. Harrison Bader, Phillies
Bader’s career year has continued in Philadelphia. The Phillies acquired the veteran outfielder from the Twins at the deadline in exchange for Hendry Mendez and Geremy Villoria. They have not regretted the move. During 96 games with Minnesota, Bader slashed .258/.339/.439 with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and a wRC+ of 117, which was tracking to be a career high. He’s been even better since the trade.
In 41 games with the Phillies, Bader is slashing .331/.389/.500, with four home runs, 15 RBIs and a wRC+ of 147. He has already produced 1.4 fWAR, all while playing solid defense in center field. That 1.4 fWAR is tied with Carlos Correa for the most among hitters acquired at the trade deadline.
Bader’s contract has a $10 million mutual option for 2026 that he’s now almost certain to turn down. Given how he’s played, the Phillies might look to re-sign him.
Tottenham Hotspur is a club that has so often been home to numerous elite-level attackers, many of whom have captured the hearts of supporters in the process.
Harry Kane will remain as the Lilywhites’ best-ever goalscorer, with his remarkable figures during his decade-long stint in North London backing up such claims.
The Englishman scored 280 times in his 435 appearances for the club, subsequently breaking the late Jimmy Greaves’ long-standing goalscoring record.
He also formed a deadly partnership with Heung-min Son during his time in the first team, with the duo linking up together on 47 occasions – the most of any pairing in Premier League history.
However, current boss Thomas Frank has been unable to rely upon either of the stars after taking the reins during the off-season, after both were sold in the last handful of years.
Numerous other teams currently boast players of similar characteristics, which has often seen them produce the goods on a consistent basis against them in the Premier League.
The pain Bukayo Saka has inflicted on Spurs in the PL
The North London derby is one of the first dates all Spurs fans look for in the calendar every year, with such a fixture having huge importance in terms of bragging rights.
Winger Bukayo Saka has been a player the Lilywhites supporters have certainly envied over the last few years, with the Englishman often producing the goods against the Lilywhites.
He’s helped Mikel Arteta’s side claim numerous victories in the clashes between the two sides in recent years, subsequently inflicting pain on the Lilywhites faithful as a result.
After his debut for the Gunners five years ago, he’s racked up 10 appearances against Spurs, even finding the back of the net in 50% of the matches he’s featured in.
From solo efforts, as seen in the clash back in April 2024, to assists for Gabriel in the meeting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Saka has constantly proved to be a nuisance.
Given the levels he’s achieved in the Premier League over the last couple of years, the Lilywhites faithful will no doubt have wished that they had a player of his calibre in their ranks.
The Spurs star who could be their answer to Saka
In the present day, Spurs boss Frank does have numerous attacking options at his disposal, but many have failed to meet the expectations in 2025/26 to date.
Brennan Johnson has fallen down the pecking order after the Dane’s arrival, subsequently only starting five of the club’s 11 league outings in the Premier League this season.
The Welshman has only registered two goals, but has failed to match the levels he produced last season, which saw him find the net on 18 occasions across all competitions.
His failures have led to youngsters such as Wilson Odobert being handed the chance to impress in North London, but the manager will no doubt want further options off the left-hand flank.
Son’s departure has seen an elite-level talent vacate the squad, leaving a huge hole for one player to potentially fill in the long-term future under Frank.
Mikey Moore could well prove to be the beneficiary in the years ahead, with the teenager deserving of a consistent run in the first-team to allow him to reach his full potential.
The 18-year-old made 19 appearances across all competitions last season, taking advantage of the injury crisis and even registering his first senior goal in the Europa League.
However, he’s been sent on loan to Rangers this campaign in an attempt to gain valuable first-team minutes elsewhere to help aid his development and build on last season’s success.
During his temporary stint in Scotland, the teenager has shown glimpses of his quality, subsequently netting his first goal for Danny Rohl’s side against Dundee last weekend.
Underlying figures such as 1.7 dribbles completed per 90 and 7.7 ball recoveries per 90 further indicate his all-round talents – something which is extremely rare given his tender age.
Mikey Moore – stats at Rangers (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
9
Goals & assists
2
Dribbles completed
1.7
Ball recoveries
7.7
Shots taken
1.7
Pass accuracy
76%
Chances created
1.2
Aerial duels won
80%
Stats via FotMob
Moore’s performances at Rangers have already seen him receive huge praise from analysts around Spurs, with one of which labelling the winger as “the best prospect in the country”.
However, it’s crucial that the club manage expectations of the youngster, especially if he is to reach the levels that many people around North London know he is capable of achieving.
Despite that, fans have a reason to be excited, with Moore’s rise through the academy and immediate impact as a teenager extremely similar to Saka’s emergence at Arsenal.
Like his compatriot, he has the tools to make a name for himself in the North London derby, subsequently handing the fans memories to cherish in such an iconic fixture.
Should he continue on his current trajectory, there’s no reason why the youngster can’t play a huge role in the Spurs first team, potentially helping Frank claim added silverware in the near future.
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Tottenham Hotspur can offload Richarlison if Thomas Frank shows faith in one other squad member.
Detroit Tigers ace lefthander Tarik Skubal cemented himself as the best pitcher in the American League by capturing his second consecutive Cy Young Award earlier in November. And yet, Skubal's name is popping up in trade rumors as MLB's hot stove heats up this winter.
Why?
Tigers‘s reported lowball extension offer to Skubal with free agency looming
Skubal, 29, will be a free agent at season‘s end in 2026. The Tigers, undoubtedly aware of the caliber of pitcher they possess and looking to get ahead of things, in November of 2024 made a contract extension offer to Skubal that his representation, bank-breaking agent Scott Boras, deemed "non-competitive." This past month, with Skubal's '26 free agency still looming and his price tag soaring ever higher on the heels of back-to-back Cy Young Award-winning campaigns, the Tigers reportedly made another offer to the ace lefthander, but the two sides weren't close. The apparent negotiations gulf between Skubal and the Tigers has opened the door to a trade.
Why a Skubal trade makes sense for the Tigers
Skubal has posted back-to-back seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA and 220-plus strikeouts with fewer than 40 walks in 190-plus innings. He's one of the last truly dominant aces in baseball in a bullpen-heavy era where the type starter isn't as prevalent as in past years. MLB has never seen a free agent pitcher command a contract at—or north of—$400 million.
There's every reason to believe that Skubal could become the first.
Represented by Boras, it's very likely that Skubal will hit free agency. Boras is fresh off of an offseason in which he helped Juan Soto land the richest contract for a position player in baseball history. For several million reasons, he'd love to see Skubal surpass Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million deal next winter, meaning that Boras clients would own the largest contracts among both position players and pitchers.
And while Boras told reporters he's "prepared to listen" to overtures from Tigers principal owner Chris Ilitch and president of baseball operations Scott Harris in terms of a pre-free agency Skubal contract, a deal seems unlikely to materialize before the star pitcher hits the open market, given the way Boras has traditionally done business. When you consider the Tigers‘ resources, it's reasonable to think that Skubal hitting the open market could spell doom for its chances of retaining the ace. Of the 12 teams that made the postseason in 2025, Detroit's payroll ranked ninth. The Tigers again project to have a payroll that ranks in the bottom half of the league's 30 teams. As great as Skubal is, would the Tigers be willing to allocate a hefty chunk of that payroll to one player?
Should Skubal walk in free agency in '26, Detroit would likely recoup a draft pick in terms of compensation.
That's where a trade potentially factors in.
Given how good he is, Skubal could command a massive haul of prospects as part of a trade return. After the 2025 trade deadline, Detroit's farm system checked in as the sixth-best in MLB.com's rankings. The Tigers boast four top-100 prospects, but none of them are pitchers. In fact, of the Tigers's top-10 prospects, just one of them is a pitcher. Perhaps the Tigers, already armed with one of baseball's youngest rosters, lean further into a youth movement, particularly on the pitching side, to capitalize on the potential loss of Skubal?
If so, there's an argument about the best time to trade Skubal would be. This winter, giving contending teams a potential alternative against the backdrop of a solid starting pitching free agent market that lacks a true ace? Or at the '26 trade deadline, giving the (hopefully) contending Tigers a chance to assess how its season is going, and, potentially convince Skubal to remain in Detroit without him testing the open market.
It's a bit of a precarious position for the Tigers front office. Such is the business of baseball.
We break the match into six phases, and see who is likely to gain and lose in each
Sreshth Shah in Potchefstroom08-Feb-2020
India’s batting innings
Overs 1-15 India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena have to be watchful, looking to build a strong foundation with a steady start. Shoriful Islam, the left-arm seamer, has been accurate all tournament and will have the responsibility of getting Bangladesh the early breakthrough – there will be lateral movement for him, and that’s something for the openers to watch out for. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, the right-arm seamer, is the quicker bowler, but that might play in the hands of Jaiswal and Saxena, and they will look to pick him off for runs. Left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan and offspinner Shamim Hossain will have to be introduced early, and the India openers will look to play them out without much risk.Overs 16-35 Foundation in place, India will look to consolidate here, but a variety of spin and pace may earn Bangladesh some wickets in this period. Tilak Varma and Priyam Garg, who have had a quiet World Cup, will look to push on in the spin-heavy middle overs – with one of the openers around for a while, ideally – when Rakibul, Shamim and Hasan Murad will operate. Shoriful’s second spell will be crucial for both teams as India will look to score off him but not lose wickets in the process. Bangladesh have an opportunity in this period to dent India’s progress with quick strikes, perhaps even exposing their lower-middle order earlier than usual, but India will want to chug along at a decent rate.Siddhesh Veer has a variety of shots in his repertoire•ICC via GettyOvers 36-50 Siddhesh Veer, the swashbuckling allrounder, will be key here. If India are four or five down, he will look to take the innings as deep as possible before really changing gears. Veer’s reputation as a 360-degree batsman could create some doubts in Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali, and the rate will increase in the early part of this stage with India looking to wrest back some control – in case they have conceded any. Although wickets may continue to tumble, the impetus on scoring at a quick pace will be high. India’s lower-order batsmen will try to chip in with some handy runs but it’s also likely that Tanzim and Shoriful will be tough customers to deal with at the death. Expect a few expensive overs and a total in the 240-260 range, which will be very competitive, especially in a final.
Bangladesh’s batting innings
Overs 1-15 Looking at the target, the first priority for Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan will be to not lose their wickets in the early overs. They can’t afford to get bogged down either, so expect them to wait for the loose balls and cash in. The pace of Kartik Tyagi and Sushant Mishra might work well for Bangladesh, but they must tread with caution. If a wicket falls early, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, the centurion from the semi-final, will be in with the agenda to consolidate, but legspinner Ravi Bishnoi, India’s primary wicket-taking bowler, will come in to try and change the script. Bangladesh will stay in touching distance of the required run-rate, but two (or more) early wickets could hurt their chances.Mahmudul Hasan Joy acknowledges the cheers for his century•ICC via GettyOvers 16-35 Bangladesh’s middle order, which has been very prolific, will have to ensure they don’t crumble. Consolidation remains the key, but not at the cost of runs – too many dot balls will, as always, add to the pressure. Bishnoi and left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar are perfect when it comes to applying the choke, but Bangladesh know the latter can often err in his lengths. Left-arm seamer Akash Singh is probably India’s weakest link and Bangladesh will have to make full use of the overs he gets. It’s the best time for Bangladesh’s middle-order to send India captain Garg scampering for other bowling options, and it will be in Bangladesh’s advantage if he is forced to use up some extra overs from Tyagi and Mishra, which will leave Singh to bowl more in the back end.Overs 36-50 Bangladesh wouldn’t mind a required run-rate of around 6-7 in the final 15 overs, but only if they have wickets in hand. But, as it often is at the death, this is when they are most likely to lose wickets. If one of the top few manages to bat deep, as long as Akbar or Shahadat Hossain are at the crease, they would still be confident, even against a required run-rate of more than 8 in the final five overs. Bishnoi and Ankolekar will be bowled out by then, and if things go according to Bangladesh’s plans, India will be left with Singh and another pacer to bowl the final overs. Tyagi’s yorker-length deliveries will be key at this stage for India to prise out wickets, and how Bangladesh play his final overs out will determine the result.What strategies can the teams employ if it’s a rain-curtailed game?For India, it’s about how they best use their batsmen. Jaiswal, who has batted within himself so far despite being the tournament’s run-scorer, will need to up his strike rate, something he is famous for in domestic cricket. Barring his hundred against Pakistan, his strike rate has been below 80 in the other four games. Varma, Veer, and Ankolekar are best suited to score at a faster rate, so they could bat ahead of Garg and Dhruv Jurel. India could also be tempted to use Bishnoi inside the powerplay, instead of sending him too late.As for Bangladesh, they may be tempted to not play left-arm spinner Murad and opt for a quick bowler instead. Shahin Alam, the medium-pacer who can also bat, could be a good option. In the batting line-up, Hridoy could bat at No. 3 while Joy drops to No. 4. Shahadat, who has been unbeaten in his last three innings, is another pinch-hitting option whose potential they should not let go waste if it’s a short game.
Essex batsman standing still in stance but taking strides forward in career after run-fest in Australia
Matt Roller04-Mar-2020Ever since he became the County Championship’s third-youngest centurion back in 2015, some 75 days short of his 18th birthday, Dan Lawrence has been slapped with a ‘one for the future’ tag that has at times seem to weigh heavy on him.In 2018, he made batting look like hard work, averaging 23.26 in first-class cricket as he passed fifty twice in 24 innings. The summer had been “a massively frustrating time”, he would reflect.But after a remarkable run of form in an England shirt on the Lions’ tour to Australia, it seems as though that tag may soon be revised to include the present. Scores of 50 not out, 35 and 41 were complemented by six wickets with his improving offbreaks in the white-ball leg of the tour, before his 190 against a Cricket Australia XI was followed by 125 against Australia A under the MCG floodlights. All things considered, Lawrence could hardly have dreamt of making a better impression in an effective audition for the 2021-22 Ashes series.ALSO READ: Lawrence, Sibley make Australia A toilThat success has not come through natural talent alone. After missing out on the Lions squads last winter, he travelled to Cape Town, where he spent several weeks “doing boring drill stuff” and “hitting loads and loads and loads of balls”. The results were not startling, but after a solid summer across formats, an innings against Warwickshire during Essex’s Championship charge proved the catalyst for a technical change which he credits with his breathtaking winter form.”I’ve cut down on my trigger a lot,” Lawrence explains. “I was getting that wrong in the summer quite a lot. I was getting out in silly ways. Standing a bit more still, and the game is feeling a little bit easier.”It was something that I decided to do myself. I had a knock against Warwickshire at the end of last year and I was a bit like… I was finding it pretty hard to carry on triggering. So I just thought: ‘sod it, I might as well change it up’ and it’s been feeling amazing so far.”Footage from last summer demonstrates the difference, which is simple but clear. Rather than stepping across towards the off side moments before delivery, Lawrence now stands still, focused on the bowler alone rather than his own movements.”It’s just something that I’ve been tinkering with myself really, just trying to find the best possible way to carry on with it. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly a damn sight better than what it was. I’m pretty happy with where I am.”Much as his performances early in the tour were impressive, the standard of attack that the Lions faced was relatively low. That meant impressing against Australia A – with Test cap Jackson Bird and next-cabs-off-the-rank Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson among the attack – became an important aim. Despite striding out at 55 for 3, Lawrence made hay on a good batting surface, adding 219 in partnership with Dom Sibley and plundering 17 boundaries in his 210-ball 125.”Confidence was high, but that was a game I really wanted to do particularly well in. You don’t get many chances to play at the MCG, so it was nice to get a bit of time in the middle there, and thankfully score some runs.”Dan Lawrence drives during his hundred•Getty ImagesAnd, presumably, impressing in Australian conditions must have been a real fillip with half an eye on 2021-22? “There’s an element of that, but it’s more sort of taking the opportunities when they come. That’s how I look at it anyway: if other stuff does come up, then happy days, but just trying to focus on every innings that I’m playing, be as ruthless as I possibly can be.”Lawrence’s progress has been tracked by England from a young age: he impressed at the Bunbury festival in 2012, and graduated through the national age-group ranks including a strong showing at the U-19 World Cup in 2016. He has now been in and out of the Lions set-up for nearly three years, and was one of a select group of batsmen to travel to Mumbai on a spin camp at the end of last year.”He’s been a player of potential in our minds for some time,” says Mo Bobat, the ECB’s performance director. “I remember talking to him in Mumbai when he came across for the spin camp. Both myself and Ed [Smith, the national selector] spoke to him about the fact that there were a lot of people that rate the quality of his cricket. And I think that we wanted to see him score the volume of runs that, for want of a better phrase, his talent deserved.”To be fair to him, he’s gone out and done exactly that this trip. He couldn’t have done much more in terms of volume of runs. And before I left I congratulated him on that and said that his challenge was doing exactly that this summer, which I hope he does. And if he does that he’s not going to be far off.”The thing he’s hopefully done is prove to himself and others that he can score the volume of runs that he has scored and impact games the way he has. And the way actually many of us believe that he was capable of.”
Perhaps the natural place for England to blood Lawrence is in their ODI team, with the format playing a secondary role to T20Is on account of consecutive T20 World Cups in the next two years. The situation is complicated, though, by the fact he will not play 50-over cricket this summer, unless picked for a Lions series: the Royal London Cup clashes with the Hundred, in which Lawrence will represent London Spirit.That said, his captain in the competition will be Eoin Morgan, and Lawrence hopes his “ultra-aggressive” middle-overs style in short-form cricket can further his case for greater recognition. While he insists that a Test cap is the main aim, his stock is growing on the franchise circuit – his Lions commitments caused him to miss the Pakistan Super League, where he had signed with Karachi Kings – and a couple of winters globe-trotting is an attractive back-up option.”I took T20 particularly seriously last summer, and it’s something that I really wanted to improve on. It’s nice having other options: obviously playing Test cricket is the ultimate number one for me, but it’s nice to know that if things don’t necessarily go that well in that department then I can fall back on hopefully playing T20 cricket, which is also a very good way of living.”Obviously you have to use your brain sometimes and build innings in T20, but I decided to err on the side of being ultra-aggressive last year, and with a much clearer mind, I scored a lot more runs and had a lot more match-winning performances.”I’m fairly confident in my ability, it’s just getting out there and doing it now.”
A look back to 50 years ago, and the protests against South Africa’s tour of England
Alan Gardner26-Dec-2020It is often tempting to look around and conclude that we live in uniquely troubled times (and the effects of a global pandemic have certainly given 2020 a boot up the annus horribilis league table). But while the world has roiled these past few years amid schisms over race and culture, concerns about democratic accountability and the way governments function in an interconnected world, it is worth keeping in mind that the good old days often don’t live up to their billing.In , Colin Shindler revives the fractious arguments and bitter enmities that characterised a polarising campaign to stop South Africa’s 1970 tour of England. In doing so, he draws parallels with the 2016 European Union referendum – one of the side effects of which has been the demise of the Kolpak era in county cricket – and reminds us how sport can play a central part in shaping our civilisation (even as sportsmen claim their perennial aversion to being lumped in with politicians).If the past is another country, to borrow from the novelist LP Hartley (who finds his way into Shindler’s account, along with many and varied other bits of correspondence dug out from the archives), the UK of half a century ago may not look so alien – particularly to a cricket fan. South Africa returned from sporting isolation in 1992, but cricket in the country to this day is still reckoning with a history blighted by apartheid.Related
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Meanwhile, despite great strides in many areas, the experiences so eloquently given voice and amplified during an English summer touched by the Black Lives Matter protests around the world – from Ebony Rainford-Brent and Michael Holding to Azeem Rafiq and Michael Carberry – remind us that questions of race and reconciliation are yet to be solved at home.Even in the current climate, it is hard to imagine the deployment of barbed wire – as referenced in the book’s title – searchlights and security guards at cricket grounds around the country simply in order to host a game. But that was merely one aspect of the planning (predicted cost: more than £250,000) for a proposed tour that pitted English cricket’s hidebound establishment against a motley alliance of students, clergymen and MPs.Trouble had been brewing since the D’Oliveira affair of 1968, and South Africa’s refusal to countenance the inclusion of a non-white player in the MCC touring party. Yet the authorities in England persisted in attempts to host South Africa less than two years later, in the belief that blandishments about “building bridges” and claims by the South African Cricket Association that future squads would be selected solely on merit might override objections about the iniquities of apartheid. As Shindler writes: “The bridges did not appear to be facilitating any sort of traffic into the townships.”The temptation of seeing England take on what was considered the best team in the world was obvious. South Africa had just thrashed Australia 4-0 at home, and could field a side containing Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock and Mike Procter, among others; Basil D’Oliveira himself was in favour. But ranged against the blazers at Lord’s was an equally compelling cast.John Arlott had declined to tour South Africa again after observing the country’s racial segregation in 1948-49, and he stepped down from BBC commentary duties ahead of the 1970 series out of opposition to the “completely evil regime” of the John Vorster government. The Reverend David Sheppard, once of Sussex and England, led opposition from the church, while the more militant Stop the Seventy Tour movement was orchestrated by future Labour MP Peter Hain. Learie Constantine, the former West Indies allrounder, then recently ennobled as Baron Constantine of Nelson, voiced fears that the arrival of South Africa “could be disastrous for race relations in this country”.Pitch PublishingMost colourful was the irascible commentary provided by the journalist and broadcaster Michael Parkinson, who railed against the “Marylebone Clodpole Club”, whose refusal to bow in the face of public protest he characterised as follows: “It is a rag-bag of cliché, red herring, zig-zagging, bobbing and weaving, and as an argument in favour of the tour has all the watertight qualities of a string bag.”As well presenting a range of material from newspapers and magazines (in which, amusingly, some people were complaining about the “left-wing bias of the BBC” even 50 years ago), Shindler adroitly sifts the cultural milieu of the time, touching on anti-Vietnam war riots in America and the rise and fall of the Beatles, as well as connecting events to the present day: “The fault line running through the country that divided Leavers and Remainers in Britain after June 2016 is not far removed from the line that divided those who supported the tour from those who exulted in its cancellation in 1970.”The fight to stop the ’70 tour during a summer when cricket grounds became battlegrounds remains an important episode in the history of the game in both England and South Africa, for whom years of isolation were to follow. Shindler’s book, as Parkinson writes in the foreword, is a “powerful reminder of those turbulent times”, as well as of cricket’s capacity to promote change. In another divided era, the struggle for a better world beyond the boundary continues.Barbed Wire and Cucumber Sandwiches
by Colin Shindler
Pitch Publishing 2020
£19.99, 320 pages
Plenty to ponder as England weigh up their XI for the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad
George Dobell23-Feb-2021Despite a chastening defeat in last week’s second Test, England sense a real opportunity to reclaim the series lead in Ahmedabad, due to the prospect of a day-night Test playing to their seam-bowling strengths. But dare they presume too much about a venue that has never hosted a Test before?Two spinners or one? This is the biggest question occupying England’s team management ahead of this game. While they are confident the pink ball (and the slightly more grassy pitch provided to accommodate it) will provide more assistance to seam bowlers, they are still playing a Test in Ahmedabad. Under that live grass is the more familiar dry red soil which suggests there will, sooner or later, be assistance for the spinners, too. For that reason, England will not make a final decision about their XI until after their final training session, which is under lights on Tuesday evening.The form of Dom Bess may be relevant here. For, while England may be facing this selection dilemma in any circumstances, you suspect that, were Moeen Ali available for this game, he would play. But Bess struggled with his length in Chennai – in particular, with a series of full-tosses – so there may be just a hint of trepidation about picking him for another Test at this stage. Put simply, if part of Bess’ role is to bowl dry, England may feel they can achieve that better with another seamer.”One thing we could improve with the ball was the amount of times we couldn’t quite string a maiden together or bowl six balls at one batter,” Root said on Tuesday. “We’ve still got to look to build pressure for long periods of time, try to squeeze the game, make it very difficult for guys to score freely and score boundaries, and by doing that build pressure at one end and on one batter to try to force an error.”Joe Root, Jofra Archer and Rory Burns warm up during England’s practice session•BCCIBut Leach will play? Yes, Leach will play. After a tricky 14 months or so in which Leach has been seriously unwell and Bess has been favoured as the solitary spinner in England, he is back in the side and established as first-choice. In English conditions, where spin could play a less prominent role and the spinner’s batting may be deemed more important, that could change. But for now, Leach is England’s No. 1.So who would the extra seamer be? Chris Woakes has been a non-playing member of this tour party for every one of the four Tests to date and is due to go home next week. But this could be his moment. While his overseas record with the ball is modest, the usage of the pink ball – and the increased opportunities it appears to bring for conventional swing bowling – may be key. Equally, although it’s a small sample size, evidence from England’s tours to New Zealand and South Africa suggested Woakes had found a way to be effective without the use of the Dukes ball or English pitches.But his batting may be as important as his bowling in this scenario. Unless he plays, England could be facing the prospect of one of Leach or Jofra Archer batting at No. 8. That’s a tail which would make a Diplodocus feel self-conscious.Ben Stokes at training in Ahmedabad’s new stadium•BCCIDon’t England already have three seamers in their side?Yes, they do. It seems to get over-looked a little at present, but Ben Stokes has 159 Test wickets and, unlike James Anderson or Stuart Broad, he has a Test five-for (in Mohali in 2016) in India. But Stokes has only bowled 12 overs in the series to date and has not bowled more than six in an innings since July. While England say he is fit, he doesn’t seem to have been able to build up the volume of overs to be relied upon as the bowling force he has been in the past. In an ideal world, though, this is the exact scenario in which a top-quality all-rounder proves their worth: allowing a team to hedge their bets with selection as they know they have all bases covered.Could Broad return? It’s possible but it seems unlikely. While Stokes said that Broad was among the England seamers “licking their lips” at the prospect of using the pink ball under lights, it seems he may be frustrated. You could make a decent case to play him ahead of Woakes, but Broad’s declining powers as a batsman count against him. Equally, you could make a case for him to play ahead of Archer, particularly if Stokes is able to provide the pace bowling that he has in the past. But England regard Archer’s skills – not just his pace, but his movement – as a point of difference. Many of Broad’s qualities – not least his control – can be provided by Anderson. And, don’t forget this is the first of another couple of back-to-back Tests. It fits with England’s recent policy to keep Broad fresh for the final Test.What about the top-order batting? The return to fitness of Zak Crawley and the return to the tour of Jonny Bairstow has given England options at the top of the order. That is almost certain to mean Dan Lawrence – who has averaged 9.66 in his three most recent Tests – will make way for Bairstow at No.3, who looked assured in Sri Lanka prior to his break from the tour (though without reaching 50 in any of his four innings).Related
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Where does that leave Rory Burns? Sitting precariously, you would think. Not so long ago, there was talk of him emerging as a future England captain and he looked to be on the brink of establishing himself in this side. You wonder how he reflects on his first-innings dismissal in the first Test in Chennai. Having got himself in on the flattest of surfaces, he had every chance to convert his start into a significant innings. Instead, he attempted a reverse-sweep – a shot he has rarely played in Test cricket – and departed for 33. Had he made a century there, this discussion wouldn’t be happening. But since the start of August he has played five Tests (eight innings) and averaged just 9.75. With Ravi Ashwin and Ishant Sharma especially effective against left-handers, there is a case for replacing him with Crawley.”It’s been quite tricky for everyone,” Root said. “But in particular the lefties against Ashwin because of how skilful he is, how good his record has been against our left-handers, and in world cricket against any left-handed batters.”Crawley has hardly made an irresistible case for selection himself, though. He had a top-score of just 13 from four innings in Sri Lanka and looked as if he had plenty to learn about combatting spin in such conditions. For that reason, the team management may decide to give Burns one more chance. Crawley is seen a major developing talent, though, and it’s not impossible he could replace Burns. Dom Sibley, having found himself under pressure only a few weeks ago, has emerged as England’s first-choice Test opener.
Conway’s record start, and all the stats highlights from England’s first home series defeat since 2014
Sampath Bandarupalli13-Jun-20213 – Number of Test series wins for New Zealand in England, including their latest win by 1-0 margin. New Zealand won the three-match series in 1986 by a 1-0 margin and the four-match series in 1999 by 2-1. The latest series victory is also the third consecutive Test series win for New Zealand against England, having triumphed at home in 2018 and 2019.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13 – Consecutive bilateral Test series without a defeat for England at home, before the series loss to New Zealand. It is also the first Test series defeat at home for Joe Root as captain. England’s last Test series defeat at home came against Sri Lanka in 2014, also by a 1-0 margin during a two-match series.122 – The second-innings total of England in Birmingham, their lowest at home against New Zealand. England’s previous lowest total at home against New Zealand was 126, also at Edgbaston in 1999.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – The number of players with a score in the 80s in this match, the first such instance in Test cricket. It is also only the third Test match to record five scores in the 80s, the previous instances were during the Australia vs South Africa Test at the SCG in 1964 and England vs Australia match at Old Trafford in 1968.88-10 – England’s win-loss record when they have made 300-plus in the first innings of a Test match at home. The eight-wicket loss to New Zealand is only the third defeat for England after scoring 300-plus in the first innings of a home Test in the last 20 years.0 – The number of New Zealand players to have won the Player-of-the-Series award in their debut Test series, before Devon Conway. The opener is also the second after Sourav Ganguly to win the award in their debut Test series in England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd306 – Runs for Conway in this Test series, the second-most by a New Zealander in the debut Test series. Stewie Dempster leads the list with 341 runs, scored during the four-match series against England in 1930. Conway’s tally of 306 runs is fifth-most by a visiting opener in a Test series on debut in England.3 – Instances of New Zealand winning away from home, despite conceding 300 and more runs in the first innings of the Test. The Edgbaston win is also just the ninth instance of New Zealand winning a Test even after giving away 300-plus runs in the first innings of a Test match.
Unglamorous left-armer completes another frugal spell as Scotland fight hard against NZ
Matt Roller03-Nov-20214:45
Borren: Scotland took the foot off the throat when NZ were three down
Left-arm fingerspin is a grubby, unglamorous skill at the best of times but in T20 cricket, particularly so. The majority of its purveyors in this World Cup hardly try to spin the ball, instead bowling defensive lines and lengths in a desperate attempt to escape from their spells unscathed. Few of them have wrong ‘uns, instead they rely on arm balls, angles and changes of pace for their variety. Their art is constructing an over, finding a way to string six balls together without becoming predictable.The poster boy for defensive darts at this tournament has been Mark Watt, Scotland’s broad-shouldered, combative linchpin. He has bowled his full allocation of four overs in every game, taking exactly one wicket in each, and has been hit for seven boundaries in total. With games against India and Pakistan to come, he is yet to concede more than 23 runs in a spell.Counterintuitively for a defensive bowler, Watt’s strength lies in his variety. His delivery points are hugely varied, sometimes bowling from a two-pace run-up with a release-point in line with the umpire, and regularly going so wide on the crease from round the wicket that his front foot lands off the cut strip. He regularly bowls at up to 65mph/104kph, and his height helps him generate both good bounce from a good length and dip on his yorkers.
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Watt’s variety is a natural response to bowling on Scotland’s small ground in Edinburgh when they play at home. “Bowling spin at the Grange is quite tough,” he said earlier in this tournament. “It’s a small round, fast outfield, and a good wicket. If you can bowl spin there, you can bowl pretty much anywhere. You need to think about different variations to keep the batter guessing when it’s only fingerspin.”The wickets you get in international cricket these days, they don’t do a lot for fingerspinners,” he told Wisden’s podcast after Scotland’s win against Bangladesh. “It’s about trying to keep the batter guessing, trying to keep them watching you all the time, and finding any sort of advantage you can get. White-ball cricket for a fingerspinner is tough.”It might be a bit cheeky bowling from 25, 26 yards – but if it gets me a dot ball in T20 cricket, I’m going to try and keep doing it. Everyone in the nets tries to hit it to the moon so I was a bit scared bowling it in games but it seems to work: the batter is looking down at his toes, then looks up and the ball is halfway through its flight.”Perhaps the biggest compliment paid to Watt was New Zealand’s approach against him in Dubai. He took a wicket with his first ball, having Devon Conway caught behind off the glove while reverse-sweeping, and despite the fact that both Martin Guptill and Glenn Phillips were set for the second half of his spell, New Zealand’s batters made only two boundary attempts off him; neither was successful.Mark Watt celebrates Devon Conway’s wicket with his team-mates•Getty ImagesHis death bowling has been particularly impressive, jamming in yorkers and cramping batters for room: he was entrusted with the 18th over against New Zealand, conceding only five runs – including a leg bye – after nutmegging Phillips with a yorker with his first ball. Watt’s figures of 1 for 13 were his best in the tournament to date, and the cheapest four-over spell by a Scotland player in all men’s T20 World Cups.”He just doesn’t give a lot,” Guptill said. “He wasn’t trying to turn the ball necessarily, or anything like that. He’s just bowling good lines and lengths, getting inside our arcs so that we couldn’t really take him down. He bowled very well and it was just a matter of trying to get through it and not let him bog us down too much.””Mark was fantastic,” Kyle Coetzer, Scotland’s captain, said. “He’s been bowling extremely well for quite a while now on this whole tour that we’ve been on. He’s been the guy who you can throw the ball to at any end: short boundary or long boundary, into the breeze or against the breeze, he’s there and he’s willing to do it.Related
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“He’s shown that the skill he has and the ability to be able to restrict runs. It’s not just about being able to deliver a ball that has some revs on it or might turn, or being able to bowl a good yorker; it’s about understanding and reading the game and he has excellent game sense, and showing why he’s on this stage. Mark’s very aware on who does what, whether players sweep or reverse-sweep, and where they look to hit the ball.”Watt has had two brief experiences playing county cricket, signing a short-term deal with Lancashire in 2018 and playing for Derbyshire for some of the following summer, and since he qualifies as a local player, his performances in this tournament should attract further interest ahead of the 2022 season.”I think Mark deserves that, as far as I’m concerned,” Coetzer said. “He’s certainly got the ability to go and play in those competitions – not only the county stuff, but maybe other franchise tournaments around the world. He’s certainly put his hand up to be one of the best left-arm spinners in this competition.”