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The visitors don’t have Shakib and Tamim; the hosts are missing Williamson, but have been boosted by the return of Boult and Conway

Mohammad Isam31-Dec-2021

Big picture

New Zealand vs Bangladesh contests have been complete mismatches, wherever they have been played. Bangladesh have lost each of their away matches against New Zealand, irrespective of the format, while New Zealand haven’t been great visitors to Bangladesh either. The first Test of the latest series, at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, starting New Year’s Day in 2022, is also likely to be a one-sided contest, with seaming and swinging conditions set to favour the home team in a big way.New Zealand, however, are coming into the Test series on the back of a 1-0 series reversal in India. They managed to draw the first Test but were upended in the second despite Ajaz Patel’s Perfect Ten. And against Bangladesh at home, they will again be without regular captain Kane Williamson, who is nursing an elbow injury, although Devon Conway’s return to the starting XI after injury will be a welcome addition to the batting line-up.Related

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Tom Latham will be leading New Zealand in their first home Tests since winning the World Test Championship. He will have his entire frontline pace attack available, including Trent Boult, who skipped the India Tests because of bubble fatigue, and is also nearing 300 Test wickets. A successful start against Bangladesh can set the tone for the upcoming home summer for New Zealand, when they also face South Africa in two WTC Tests in February.But it is entirely a different reality for Bangladesh. A struggling side, they have arrived in New Zealand following a dismal series against Pakistan at home. Losing by an innings in the second Test in Dhaka, where two-and-a-half days were lost to rain, showed how poorly prepared they were to take on quality opposition. However, they had a few bright spots in the practice match against New Zealand XI earlier this week, though the quality of opposition will be very different come the first Test.They will, however, be without Shakib Al Hasan, who has opted for a break, and Tamim Iqbal, who is recovering from a double thumb fracture. Mahmudullah, too, has retired from the format, which has left captain Mominul Haque and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim with a lot of burden to shoulder.

Form guide

New Zealand LDWWD
Bangladesh LLWLDTaskin Ahmed was arguably the only positive for Bangladesh in 2021•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

Devon Conway will be playing his first Test since he broke his finger punching his bat during the T20 World Cup. But Conway got a duck in the tour match against Bangladesh in his first competitive appearance since November. This will also be Conway’s first Test at home after the impressive start to his Test career.Taskin Ahmed took 13 wickets in his three Test appearances in 2021, a number which could have easily been higher had the Bangladesh fielders held their catches. Four out of the 11 catches dropped off his bowling across all formats came in Tests.

Team news

Will Young will open with captain Tom Latham, with the returning Conway set to come in at No. 3 in Williamson’s absence. Barring any last-minute changes, New Zealand are likely to go into the Test without Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Will Young, 3 Devon Conway, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent BoultBangladesh are likely to stick with Shadman Islam despite his poor recent form, including a duck in the practice match. There might be a toss-up between Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam for the third seamer’s role.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Liton Das (wk), 7 Yasir Ali, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Abu Jayed, 11 Ebadot Hossain/Shoriful Islam

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is expected to be slightly on the greener side; but like most New Zealand tracks, may ease up as the match progresses. Also, the toss may not matter, as both previous Tests here were won by the side losing the toss. Weather is likely to be mostly dry during the Test.

Stats and trivia

• Boult is eight wickets away from becoming the fourth New Zealander to reach 300 Test wickets.
• Mushfiqur is 144 runs short of becoming the first Bangladesh batter to 5000 Test runs.

Quotes

“We’ve been having some really good success in these conditions but also away in these recent years. It’s more about [continuing] what this group’s been doing and have my own spin on things.”
“It is not ideal not having one or two of our bigger players here. We have young players who haven’t played Tests in New Zealand, so they won’t be scarred by past performances. We have to look at it as a positive.”

A long-term view is being taken with the fast bowler after his history of injuries

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2022Pace bowler Jhye Richardson says he’s on board with the decision to rest him for the Test tour of Pakistan and backed Justin Langer to secure a new term as national coach.Richardson’s three-year hiatus from the Test arena came to an end in December when he was part of the Australian unit that beat England by 275 runs in the day-night Ashes clash in Adelaide. He snared 5 for 42 in the second innings in a stunning display, but an injury to his left foot and shin kept him out for the rest of the series.He has battled a series of shoulder injuries in recent years and selectors want to take a careful approach with him to avoid his body breaking down. Richardson has been selected for the upcoming five-match T20 series against Sri Lanka but he will be rested for the three-Test tour of Pakistan, which begins in March.Related

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“These conversations have always been positive, there’s never been a negative word said regardless,” Richardson said. “It’s making sure we’re in the best place possible to play for the next 10 years, and making sure the body is right and 100 percent moving forward.”It would be exciting to play Test cricket in the subcontinent, it’s a big challenge. But for me now the focus is most certainly on the Sri Lankan series with another T20 World Cup coming up.”National selector George Bailey indicated he still expected Richardson to play a part during the winter with a Test tour of Sri Lanka also in the calendar. In the short term, though, it is unclear what cricket Richardson could play after the T20I series with the domestic schedule yet to be determined and Western Australia’s hard border adding to the complexity.Jhye Richardson took a five-wicket haul in his one Ashes appearance•AFP/Getty Images

“He is a player that we we’ve got long term expectations for,” Bailey said. “He still hasn’t played a huge amount of cricket coming back from the injuries and things that he’s had over the past couple of years. So just making sure that he gets the opportunity to build up the way that he needs to build up is really important.”Richardson will line up for Perth Scorchers against Sydney Sixers or Adelaide Strikers in Friday’s BBL final at Marvel Stadium. He will still have to manage the injury he suffered during the Ashes.”I had a scan on it [the shin], and it showed the muscle was pulling on the bone a little bit, so there was a little bit of stress there, which is why it’s taken longer to settle down,” Richardson said. “But throughout the whole time it’s been functional. I’ve been able to play and bowl throughout that whole series, and then moving into Scorchers stuff.”Meanwhile, Langer’s future is still uncertain despite helping Australia secure the T20 World Cup crown and a 4-0 Ashes triumph. Richardson, who played under Langer at WA, wants the veteran coach to be rewarded with a fresh deal.”For someone to come and take the World Cup, to then win an Ashes 4-0, I can’t fault anything that JL has done,” Richardson said. “JL and I have always gotten along really well. What he’s been able to achieve recently has been absolutely amazing. And no doubt the guys from a playing point of view have full faith in him. He’s been awesome.”

India’s stand-in captain feels Boland Park pitch could have something for slower bowlers, and both Ashwin and Chahal are likely to get a chance

Hemant Brar18-Jan-20224:30

KL Rahul – ‘Virat made us believe we can do special things’

Stand-in captain KL Rahul has confirmed that he would be opening for India in the three-match ODI series in South Africa. Rahul has batted in the middle order in one-dayers of late with much success, but in the absence of newly appointed full-time captain and regular opener Rohit Sharma, he will move up the order.”In the last 14-15 months, I have batted at No. 5, No. 4, different positions,” Rahul said on the eve of the first ODI in Paarl. “That’s what the team needed of me then. Now I think with Rohit not being here [due to a hamstring injury], I would bat at the top of the order.”Since January 2020, Rahul has scored 554 runs in ten ODIs, at an average of 69.25 and a strike rate of 109.92, while batting at No. 4 or lower.Related

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“We don’t want to be a team that is very predictable,” he said. “There might be games where I have to bat in the middle-order or the lower order because that’s what the team needs. I might have to open the batting at some time, which I’m okay with, and all of us in the team understand that. In a team game, everyone needs to be flexible as per the team plan or the team strategy. Everyone will have to be ready for certain things that the team wants them to do.”During the Test series, the pitches didn’t offer much help for spinners but, according to Rahul, the Boland Park pitch in Paarl could have something for slower bowlers and India could play both R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the first two ODIs, both at the same venue. If India do that, it would be Ashwin’s first ODI appearance since June 2017.Last time also, when India toured South Africa, in 2017-18, they had played two spinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal – during the six-match ODI series. Both Kuldeep and Chahal had played a big part in India winning the series 5-1 by picking up 17 and 16 wickets respectively.”We practised a couple of days at Boland Park and the pitch does look like it might offer a lot more for spinners than what we got in the Test series,” Rahul said. “We have quality spinners. Ashwin is coming back into the one-day team and we all know what quality he brings in. Chahal has been doing it for years now and he has been a great performer for us. If there’s any assistance from the pitch, I know that these two will really exploit it.”Hopefully, in the first two games, like I said the pitch does look like it might offer a little bit of spin. So yeah, they become really important for us.”India are also looking at Venkatesh Iyer as someone who can be their sixth bowling option and do the job Hardik Pandya did before injuries set him back. Currently, India do not have a batter in their top six who can also chip in with the ball.Iyer made his India debut during the T20I series against New Zealand in November but is yet to play an ODI. In the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 379 runs at an average of 63.16 and a strike rate of 133.92. With the ball, he sent down nine-to-ten overs in most games and picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 5.75.”The sixth bowling option in white-ball cricket nowadays is really important and we are trying to develop that,” Rahul said. “Venkatesh Iyer has come into the side and we will give him that chance. He has done decently well for us in the two or three games he played against New Zealand. In the IPL also he had done well. So he gives us that option as the sixth bowler.”Fast-bowling allrounders are always an asset and we’re always looking for fast-bowling allrounders. They balance the team out really well, so very excited about Venkatesh Iyer. It’s a great opportunity for him in South Africa and he’s looking really good in the nets.”

Fakhar Zaman extends form with another fifty as Qalandars hand United 66-run defeat

Hemant Brar19-Feb-2022Harry Brook’s unbeaten 102 off just 49 balls set up a thumping 66-run win for Lahore Qalandars as they consolidated their second spot on the PSL points table.Brook reached his hundred off just 48 balls – the second-fastest in the PSL – but what made his knock even more special was the circumstances in which he came out to bat. After opting to bat, Qalandars were reeling at 12 for 3 in the third over as Faheem Ashraf removed Phil Salt and Kamran Ghulam in the second over of the innings before running out Mohammad Hafeez with a direct hit in the next.Brook then joined hands with Fakhar Zaman and the pair revived the innings by adding 101 off just 63 balls for the fourth wicket. Brook was the aggressor of the two, reaching his half-century off 27 balls. In comparison, Fakhar took 39 balls for his.Fakhar fell soon after reaching the landmark but Brook kept batting in the same vein. He took Mohammad Wasim for two fours and a six in the 15th over and then smashed Waqas Maqsood for three fours and a six in the 20-run penultimate over of the innings. In all, Brook hit ten fours and five sixes in his innings.United started positively in their chase of 198 and despite Shaheen Shah Afridi sending both their openers back off successive deliveries in the third over, they finished the powerplay at 59 for 2.It was Rashid Khan who applied brakes on the scoring rate, first by trapping Wasim lbw and then having Azam Khan stumped. He finished with 2 for 19 from his four overs. Zaman Khan also chipped in with a couple of wickets, and by the end of the 15th over, United were 106 for 6 and way behind the asking rate.Danish Aziz tried to fight with an unbeaten 30 off 26 balls but the task had become insurmountable. Eventually, United could reach only 131 for 9. They are currently fourth on the points table with eight points from nine games.

England seamer chooses to sit out Durham contest but visiting attack still performs strongly

David Hopps21-Apr-2022Stuart Broad has shunned this game as what has the makings of part preparation, part election campaign ahead of the start of England’s Test summer, but Nottinghamshire prospered in his absence as they produced what was probably their best bowling day of the season. A surprise defeat against Glamorgan last week underlined that even such short-price favourites for Division Two can come a cropper and to dismiss Durham for only 230 in favourable batting conditions was an excellent response. They will expect to top 400-plus in reply.Following their bore draw against Leicestershire last week, Durham’s keenest observers had feared more mental torture on what one observer described as “the turgid side of the square”. The pitch did appear to be just as placid and unresponsive, but they collapsed on it anyway, Sean Dickson’s pre-lunch half-century, replete with offside drives, the only innings of substance in a flaccid batting performance. They have also lost Liam Trevaskis, who needed a concussion substitute after he was twice hit on the helmet late in the afternoon session by the Australian quick, James Pattinson.Strikingly, for Chester-le-Street in April, five wickets went to the left-arm spinner, Liam Patterson-White, who was born in nearby Sunderland before the family upped sticks for the Midlands and who bowled his 26.4 overs unchanged from before lunch to return 5 for 54 and keep the pace bowlers fresh while he did so.Scott Borthwick gifted him a wicket, driving at a wide one to be caught at slip, as did Ben Raine, more forgivably, last out as he lofted to long-on. He also had three lbws, with both Keegan Petersen and Matthew Potts deceived low on the back foot. Somewhere along the line he turned one sharply which was the biggest shock of all. On a circuit not exactly renowned for English spin bowling, he is quietly building a decent career.England’s premier fast bowlers have regularly been bracketed together since they were both omitted from the tour of the West Indies, but they have taken different tacks in this round of the Championship: James Anderson playing for Lancashire where he was outshone by Hasan Ali, Broad choosing to delay his entrance until Worcestershire head to Trent Bridge next week. As a centrally-contracted player, even one currently out of the side, it remains logical for him to prepare with the prospect of four back-to-back Tests in June and July and, in his mind, that is likely to mean only three Championship matches at Trent Bridge and Lord’s.”At the end of the day, getting back into the England team for me is not about taking lots of wickets in Division Two,” Broad said in his column. “Whether I take 10 or 45 in that first period of the season will not be the main factor for me as a bowler with 537 Test wickets, and good form in my recent international appearances.”For a bowler like me or Jimmy Anderson, it’s not so much about the numbers, it’s about being fit physically and mentally and ready for the battle and we won’t be in prime physical condition playing every week.”Patterson-White claimed a five-for on day one•Getty Images

Under current structures, Broad is entitled to prepare as he sees fit. But for the much-criticised Championship, becoming an occasional practice ground because of a non-stop fixture list both at county and international level is entirely detrimental. What could have been an intriguing match-up between Broad and Alex Lees – a contest that could have revealed something about their England qualities – existed only as a pang of regret that it would not take place. Lees also missed the game because of a back complaint. It is not just county cricket that does not serve England, it is England that does not serve England.It is a curse of being so exceptional for so long that Anderson and Broad have automatically created a tension of succession because those who must one day replace them have yet to prove they are up to the job. Seniority brings with it knowledge, craft and strong opinions. It is their very raging against the dying of the light, as well as their skill, that has contributed to their exceptional longevity. And, if they can occasionally be cussed dressing room companions, as has often been intimated, then perhaps a certain amount of irritation is understandable as England have slipped towards the foot of the Test championship. It is down to others to out-perform them. There again, in a disparaged and diminished Championship where exactly do they do it?Instead of displaying the best of English cricket, Chester-le-Street offered up leading South Africans and Australians by way of compensation. Dane Paterson had anticipated with relish meeting up with former Cape Cobras team-mates, Petersen and David Bedingham, suggesting their knowledge of each other’s game put him at an advantage, and his dismissal of Bedingham soon after lunch, edging one that hinted at inswing but failed to linger on that path, was a key moment in Durham’s afternoon collapse. Dickson, reinventing himself as a Championship opener at the age of 30, had departed the last ball before lunch, as Luke Fletcher took his 600th professional wicket.The most disturbing moments came shortly before tea when Pattinson, who has a mean short ball, twice clanked Trevaskis on the helmet as he ducked into deliveries. The first blow rang out sickeningly around the members’ stand, but he passed his concussion test and continued; the second blow, which struck him barely above stump height, brought about his retirement from the game. George Drissell, a spin bowler signed in the close-season from Gloucestershire, was a like-for-like replacement. He was greeted by two bouncers, this time from Paterson, and must have briefly mused whether like-for-like replacements really had to withstand like-for-like deliveries.

CSK defend 202 to wrap up third win on Dhoni’s return to captaincy

Sidharth Monga01-May-2022He has had a largely ordinary season so far, but against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ruturaj Gaikwad displayed stroke-play that has had many excited about him to help set up a win for Chennai Super Kings in MS Dhoni’s first match back as captain. This was Super Kings’ third win in nine matches this IPL.It was mostly a vintage Super Kings innings: a slow and steady start, consistent acceleration through the middle overs, batters who get in going on to play big innings. Gaikwad fell one short of a hundred, opening partner Devon Conway scored an unbeaten 85 off 55, and the two added 182, the highest stand this IPL. The defence of 202 wasn’t an easy one with the absence of the injured Dwayne Bravo adding to their bowling woes but Maheesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja went for just a run a ball in the seven overs between them to help create wickets at the other end. And, Mukesh Choudhary starred with four wickets for the defending champions.Sunrisers eventually fell short by 13, which left them with 10 points from nine games, joint-fourth with Royal Challengers Bangalore but with a game in hand.Slow and steadyThe 40 for 0 at the end of the powerplay was a typical Super Kings score. They like their top-order batters to take their time early and then strike later. However, in doing even that, Conway was particularly slower, so Gaikwad had to be more assertive. Having seen the Marco Jansen meltdown at the death in their last match, Kane Williamson bowled three of his overs inside the powerplay, just for 19 runs.Washington injures himself againIt might be the same split webbing as Washington Sundar injured himself while trying to save a boundary. He hadn’t even started bowling at that time, which left Kane Williamson a tough call to fit in the fifth bowler.Gaikwad, Conway break freeSo the replacement for Washington was Aiden Markram with his part-time offspin. They let him bowl the first over, but from the eighth over onwards, Gaikwad began the onslaught. First up was Umran Malik, whose pace and hard lengths in the middle overs have given Sunrisers an edge in this IPL. Gaikwad, though, loves pace when he is in. At 28 off 23 at the start of the eighth over, he was properly in.Gaikwad went over cover first and then over long-on to take 13 off the eighth over. Conway dished out the same treatment to Markram in his second, finally going past a run a ball.The quickest ball of the tournament, bowled at 154kmph by Malik, came back just as fast off Gaikwad’s bat and went between the stumps and the non-striker. A bounce took the top edge for a four. Markram’s third went for two sixes off Gaikwad’s bat, but there wasn’t much Williamson could do about that. The crowning glory was the off-drive off Malik for a six over long-off. Super Kings 117 for 0 in 12.Jansen’s last-over bluesBhuvneshwar Kumar pulled things back a little with a boundary-less 13th over, Shashank Singh followed it up without incident to fulfil the fifth bowler’s quota, and Williamson went back to Jansen for the 15th. The idea, perhaps, was to not protect him from the death overs, but he didn’t bowl a great over. If his last over in the previous match cost Sunrisers 25, this one went for 20 and also brought up Conway’s fifty in the process.A Gaikwad slowdown ensued in his 90s, and he fell for 99, trying to place a short and wide ball as opposed to hitting it hard. Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 4-0-22-0 – and Malik, who conceded just eight in the 19th, pulled things back, resulting in just 49 runs in the last five, but 202 was always going to be challenging for Sunrisers.Luck runs outSunrisers had no choice but to come out with aggressive intent. It came off for the first few overs when Williamson got a free hit that he hit for a six, Abhishek Sharma got three boundaries off edges, was dropped once, and 46 came in the first three overs.Mukesh Choudhary, who had dropped a sitter, his third drop this IPL out of five catches that have gone to him, came back with the ball to have Abhishek caught at long-on and Rahul Tripathi ramping a short ball straight to short third man. That turned the powerplay Super Kings’ way even though 58 came off it.The spin strangleWilliamson now went into the anchoring mode, hoping the batters at the other end would take them closer before he hit out again. Theekshana’s unpredictability and Ravindra Jadeja’s accuracy, though, slowed them down. When Markram tried to hit out against Mitchell Santner, his two sixes were followed up by a short ball pulled straight to deep midwicket.The endgameIt was now down to Williamson and Nicholas Pooran to play blinders, but this was not the day for blinders. They had left themselves too much to do – 101 in the last eight – and despite a switch hit for a six and the odd boundary, they needed 78 from the last six, which is still manageable. Dwaine Pretorius, though, benefited from all the pressure as Williamson went to ramp a ball, but was trapped right in front. Choudhary then signed off with the wickets of Shashank Singh and Washington, leaving them 50 to get off the last two.Pooran fought, scoring a 29-ball fifty, but he had too much to do. Fifty from the last two was always going to be tough, never mind Pooran’s explosive batting. That turned out to be the case.

This is his first role as head coach after having previously served as consultant for SA and Lions

Firdose Moonda15-Jun-2022JP Duminy, the former South African middle-order batter, has been appointed head coach of provincial side Boland on a two-year deal. This is Duminy’s first role as head coach after previously serving as batting consultant to the Lions franchise and, briefly, for the national men’s team, at the T20 World Cup.Duminy, who retired after the 2019 World Cup, played 46 Tests, 199 ODIs and 81 T20Is for South Africa. He cannot wait to begin in his new role. “I’m very excited, nervous and have all these emotions popping up. It’s a great opportunity to get into the coaching space after playing,” Duminy told ESPNcricinfo. “Boland is close to my heart. It has been down the road for many years and, playing for the Cobras [in the franchise system], we spent a lot of time down in Boland.”Having grown up in Cape Town, Duminy spent his entire playing career in the Western Cape and has both an understanding of the cricketing landscape in this area and a good rapport with many of the players, which was one of the reasons Boland appointed him. “One of his biggest strengths is man-management. People like him,” James Fortuin, CEO of Boland Cricket told ESPNcricinfo. “He has a huge amount of experience and brings a lot to the role.”Without applying too much pressure on Duminy, Fortuin hoped the team could build on a strong first season, in which they won the T20 competition, finished seventh in the one-day cup and fifth in the first-class competition to be placed third on the combined results chart. Having only been elevated to the top tier last summer, at the dissolution of the franchise system, Boland’s results were “better than expected,” according to Fortuin and they’ve put the systems in place to build on that.Former coach Adrian Birrell, who Duminy succeeds, ensured “that we signed some big players like the Malan brothers (Pieter and Janneman,)” Fortuin said. Boland also have Kyle Abbott on their books. The fast bowler joined the province thanks to Birrell who also coached at Hampshire, where Abbott was on a Kolpak deal. Under Birrell, the Boland team, under their Paarl Rocks banner, also won the 2019 Mzansi Super League, an event which showcased the cricketing culture of Boland with sold-out matches at their 10,000 seater stadium. It’s that community that Duminy wants the team to play for during his tenure.”The people in Boland mean a lot to me and hopefully this is an opportunity for us to get out into the community and get the team closer to the community once again and represent the people,” he said. “I want to be a big part of that and get the players to understand what it means to represent the community. That’s a big part of Boland and it extends far and wide beyond Paarl. That’s a big thing for me.”Duminy joins Robin Peterson at the Warriors and Imran Khan at the Dolphins as former international players coaching in the top division.

Craig Miles claims three wickets as Bears seal fifth win of the season

ECB Reporters Network08-Jun-2022Birmingham Bears eased past Durham in their Vitality Blast clash at Seat Unique Riverside by six wickets, securing their fifth win of the season to strengthen their position in the North Group.Alex Davies led the way for the visitors with a knock of 49 to provide the anchor for their chase of 142, which they managed comfortably with 12 balls to spare as Adam Hose played a useful cameo to see the Bears over the line.Durham were made to rue a poor start with the bat that limited their ability to set an imposing total. A half-century from Ben Raine papered over the cracks as Craig Miles claimed 3 for 29 to play a significant role in deciding the outcome of the contest.After opting to bat first on home soil, Durham lost a wicket in the first over when Hose connected with a direct hit from mid-on to remove the dangerous Graham Clark for only 2. Ollie Robinson and Michael Jones fell cheaply too, with both men being caught on the fence as Miles and Carlos Brathwaite struck in the powerplay.The early wickets put the hosts well and truly on the back foot, mustering only 28 runs from the opening six overs. David Bedingham then continued the procession of batters back to the pavilion as Sam Hain took a fine catch running in from long-on to hand Danny Briggs his only wicket, reducing Durham to 36 for 4.Ned Eckersley and Raine led a fightback, taking Briggs’ next over for 16, including a six each down the ground. The partnership reached 36 before Olly Stone produced a snorting bouncer that Eckersley could only fend behind to Davies. Raine held the Durham innings together and was the only batter to look comfortable, scoring a half-century from 32 balls, striking three sixes. But, Miles and Stone were on point to limit the home side to 141 for 7 from their 20 overs, with the former taking 3 for 29.The Bears were dealt a blow from the off as Paul Stirling fell for a golden duck, for the second game in a row, playing on to a delivery from Paul Coughlin. Despite the setback, Davies and Jacob Bethell settled into the run chase, keeping the required rate below seven runs per over, scoring timely boundaries to put the home side on the back foot.The Bears, in contrast to Durham, reached 47 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, and the introduction of spin allowed Davies to propel the scoring rate taking 12 off Scott Borthwick’s first over. Raine ended the stand for the second wicket at 73 by bowling Bethell for 21, while Hain endured a tough spell in the middle scoring 10 off 14 before being removed by AJ Tye.Davies fell short of a deserved half-century, missing a straight delivery from Raine to give the hosts a glimmer of hope. Hose dispelled the notion of a late wobble from the visitors with a quick-fire 28 from 16 balls alongside Chris Benjamin, who struck Brydon Carse for three straight fours in the 18th over before knocking off the winning runs.

Jadeja named vice-captain; Rohit, Kohli, Hardik, Bumrah, Pant and Shami rested for three-match series

Shashank Kishore06-Jul-2022Shikhar Dhawan has been given another chance to lead India’s ODI side, this time on the tour of the Caribbean later this month, with Ravindra Jadeja serving as his deputy in the 16-man squad. Designated captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami have all been rested for the three-match series, while KL Rahul, who recently underwent surgery for a sports hernia, was not considered for selection.Shubman Gill makes his ODI comeback after the tour of Australia in December 2020, while Sanju Samson is back after a year, having played his lone ODI so far in Sri Lanka last July. Samson and Ishan Kishan are the two wicketkeepers in the squad.Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm pacer who has been included in a full-strength squad for the England ODIs later this month, has been retained alongside Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur. Yuzvendra Chahal, Jadeja and Axar Patel – all part of the England tour party – complete the spin department.Ruturaj Gaikwad, Avesh Khan and Deepak Hooda, who were all left out of the ODI squad in England, have been included. While opener Gaikwad and fast bowler Avesh are uncapped in the format, Hooda is two matches old in ODIs, having made his debut against West Indies this February.Avesh Khan and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been included in the 16-member squad•BCCI

All three players have established themselves as key members of their respective IPL franchises. Gaikwad was the Orange Cap holder for scoring the most runs in IPL 2021 for champions Chennai Super Kings, while Avesh and Hooda are coming off impressive seasons for IPL debutants Lucknow Super Giants this year. More recently, Hooda made his maiden T20I century on the tour of Ireland late last month.Gaikwad, in particilar, has been prolific in 50-overs cricket, having hit 603 runs in five innings for Maharashtra during the domestic 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy in December last year. He hit four centuries then, the joint-highest in a single edition of the tournament. He struck those runs at a strike rate of 112.94.Largely seen as a one-format player now, Dhawan will lead India in a series only for the second time. Last July, he led a second-string squad on the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, even as the regulars were in England for the WTC final against New Zealand as well as the Test series against England that followed.Like Rahul, Deepak Chahar and Kuldeep Yadav were also not considered for selection, with both of them recovering from injuries. Washington Sundar, meanwhile, is in the final stages of his rehab, following which he will fly out to England for a short county stint with Lancashire.India’s tour of the Caribbean begins with the ODIs in Trinidad from July 22. They will also play five T20Is, across Trinidad, St Kitts & Nevis and Florida (USA), before the tour ends on August 7.India ODI squad: Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-capt), Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.

Hundreds for Feroze Khushi and Tom Westley set up emphatic win before Benkenstein’s Harmer-esque impact

ECB Reporters Network14-Aug-2022Seventeen-year-old leg spinner Luc Benkenstein sliced through the Glamorgan middle-order with six wickets in 36 balls to ease Essex to back-to-back Royal London Cup victories at sizzling Chelmsford.Benkenstein, the son of former South African all-rounder Dale, who is first-team coach at Gloucestershire, took advantage of the sort of conditions that have helped to make Simon Harmer the most formidable spin bowler in the countryHe only made his debut against Durham less than a week ago, at his dad’s old stamping ground at Chester-le-Street, and had not taken a wicket for Essex’s first team when he came on to bowl the 22nd over with Glamorgan making good progress towards their target of 342.His incredible quick-fire haul changed that – and crucially it included the crucial wicket of Sam Northeast, who was in the process of batting himself back into form with an 81-ball 70. Benkenstein finished with figures of 6-42 in the 103-run win.”I’m a bit overwhelmed to tell you the truth at the moment, ” he said. “It was a great team performance in the end in very warm conditions so it was unbelievable from the boys.Getting the wicket of Northeast was very satisfying, he was going very well but I knew if I got it in the right place, he was eventually going to have to go after me because the run-rate was creeping up. Luckily, I got it in the right place and so today it was my day but on another, it could have been his.”We could do with some rain on the outfield. Quite a few of the lads have got nasty cuts and a lot of blood over their shirts but they are a terrific bunch of lads and they put their bodies on the line whatever the conditions.”Essex’s imposing total, after electing to bat against the reigning champions, was underpinned by a second-wicket partnership of 203 – a record for any Essex wicket in the competition against Glamorgan – between Feroze Khushi and Tom Westley, who both finished with 104 to their names.Related

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For Khushi his 86-ball knock, including five sixes, was his second century of the season, scored on successive Sundays, while Westley recorded a ton in consecutive matches from 110 balls. However, once they departed Essex crashed from 247-3 to 303-9 in the blink of an eye with Andrew Salter’s off-breaks claiming 3-72.Glamorgan’s tails were up when Josh Rymell thick-edged the second legitimate ball of the game from James Harris to slip. They had to wait more than 30 overs for their second success by which time Essex had motored beyond 200.In between Khushi and Westley set about the bowling with an almost nonchalant relish. Westley, coming in at No3, dominated the initial part of the partnership, contributing 49 of the first hundred and then reaching his own half-century from 51 balls.The younger Khushi was slightly more subdued at the outset and managed just two fours in his fifty scored from 57 balls, but he kept the scoreboard ticking along with singles and doubles.However, it was in the latter stages of his innings that he burst into life. His first fifty included a straight six off the unfortunate Douthwaite. There was a second swept off Prem Sisodiya before Colin Ingram was taken out of the attack after three legside sixes in an over that had the umpires reaching regularly for the spares box.Khushi’s second fifty took just 29 balls as a single to deep cover took him to three-figures. But in the same over he played all around a delivery from David Lloyd and was bowled.Westley was a spectator for a spell while Khushi ran rampant, but reached his own ton with a push into the onside from his 101st ball. But he was bamboozled by a delivery from Salter that was going down legside, he overbalanced and was stumped off a wide.The two centurions removed, Glamorgan’s bowlers suddenly detected a soft underbelly and six wickets went down in six overs before a last-wicket flourish added 38Only Grant Roelofsen, entering at No4, avoided the carnage at the other end and finished unbeaten on 69 from 55 balls, reaching his half-century with a six into the visitors’ dressing room.In response, Lloyd struck seven boundaries in a 17-ball 30 before he picked out Snater on the square-leg boundary to give New Zealander Ray Toole a first wicket on debut.Apart from a pulled six, Ingram struggled for any fluency despite a half-century stand with Northeast. He had reached 17 from 25 balls when he took a swish at Nijjar and was lbw.Northeast lost his captain Kiran Carlson after another fifty partnership when he chopped Benkenstein to backward point. Benkenstein’s second followed soon after when Northeast decided to charge and was stumped by Roelofsen, and the third arrived when Khushi raced in from the cover boundary to dive and dismiss Tom Bevan.Douthwaite leant back and tried to force Benkenstein away, only to play on. Two balls later Tom Cullen went walkabouts and was stumped.Nijjar had Weighell caught behind off an attempted reverse sweep before Benkenstein returned to dismiss Harris, courtesy of Nijjar’s snatch around the corner off a top edge.