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Hughes hit 112 off 96 balls but New South Wales fell short in their DLS-adjusted chase

Andrew McGlashan30-Sep-2019Western Australia 6 for 210 (Shaun Marsh 82, Nair 2-18) beat New South Wales 7 for 235 (Hughes 112*, Henriques 75, Coulter-Nile 3-47) by eight runs (DLS method)Nathan Coulter-Nile and Andrew Tye used all their experience to secure Western Australia a nail-biting eight-run win over New South Wales on the DLS method to put them top of the Marsh Cup table.For much of the afternoon, it looked as though Daniel Hughes would take New South Wales to victory as they chased a DLS target of 244 following a two-hour rain delay during Western Australia’s innings. However, when his 142-run stand with Moises Henriques was broken in the 24th over, the rest of New South Wales’ middle order could not quite keep up the tempo, leaving Hughes’ 112 off 96 balls in vain.Following a sluggish start to the chase, which included Jack Edwards being caught at point, New South Wales were never comfortably ahead of the rate despite the crisp stroke play of Hughes and Henriques, which meant that when wickets started to fall, Western Australia were back in the game.Coulter-Nile had Henriques caught in the deep and then returned to bowl his last two overs in the closing stages, removing Daniel Sams and Nick Bertus in the process as the equation swung further in Western Australia’s favour.It came down to New South Wales needing 14 off the last over and that proved too many against Tye, who conceded just five – despite bowling a wide – and claimed two wickets.Western Australia had been solidly placed at 3 for 151 off 29.5 overs when the rain arrived and it lingered long enough to cause a significant reduction in the contest. On resumption, they did well to make 59 off the remaining 5.1 overs although New South Wales were hampered somewhat with Sean Abbott and Harry Conway having already bowled out.Shaun Marsh had a half-century when the rain came and he added two more sixes to his tally after the break, one a huge pull, which went out of the ground, and the second a one-handed slice over backward point which he played from down on his back knee.Henriques, who was entrusted with two of the death overs, struggled to land his attempted slower balls and was no-balled three times for big full tosses but the umpire did not rule them dangerous deliveries so he was able to continue bowling.

England’s coach has hinted the team might ‘have a decision to make’ over Jonny Bairstow’s role in the side after he fractured a finger at Trent Bridge

Alan Gardner23-Aug-2018Trevor Bayliss has hinted England may “have a decision to make” over Jonny Bairstow’s future as Test wicketkeeper. Bairstow fractured a finger while taking a catch behind the stumps at Trent Bridge and is a doubt for the fourth Test, starting next week; if passed fit, he is likely to play as a specialist batsman only.Bairstow’s injury enabled Jos Buttler – England’s regular limited-overs keeper – to retake the gloves for the first time in Tests since 2015. Buttler subsequently scored his maiden Test hundred, and he seems set to have a chance to stake a permanent claim for the wicketkeeper’s role, a change that could allow Bairstow to fill one of England’s problem batting positions higher up the order.Bairstow has long been adamant that he wants to continue keeping wicket, and has made significant improvements since first stepping in as Matt Prior’s replacement on the 2013-14 Ashes tour. However, Bayliss, England’s coach, suggested that while “convincing Jonny” of the merits of a switch might prove difficult, it was in Buttler’s hands to make the most of the opportunity.”I think keeping in the next game will probably be the most difficult [for Bairstow],” he said. “We’ve got to check with the medical guys in the next few days. They are suggesting he may not be able to keep but might be able to bat. We’ll have to see how it responds. If that gives someone else another opportunity – it’s like any injury, if someone comes in and does well, then you have a decision to make.”That’ll be the hard thing, trying to convince Jonny. That will be a decision that is taken from the team point of view. He is a world-class batter, we know that, one of the difficult things might be convincing Jonny of that. I think he has improved his keeping over the last couple of years from where he was say when we were in South Africa. He’s aware of that. He’s done some hard work. Jos will have to do some hard work as well. He’s been keeping a lot in one-day cricket but keeping 100 overs-a-day can be difficult, day after day, Test after Test. There are other options out there as well.”While Bairstow has made a strong case as a wicketkeeper-batsman – he averages 42.33 with the gloves as opposed to 38.55 overall – there remains a school of thought that he could be even more productive. Freed from keeping, Bairstow could potentially bat as high as No. 4, a position which has been problematic since Joe Root moved up to bat at No. 3. Perhaps significantly, Bairstow has averaged more than 50 in the ODI side over the last year, playing solely as a batsman – and Bayliss said he was not worried that a change in roles would affect his output in Tests.”If that was the way we went, it would certainly be a deep conversation,” Bayliss said. “Jonny’s a reasonable bloke. If that’s the way we wanted to go… in the long run, he wants to play Test cricket. We know he wants to keep but there would be a lot of explaining and chatting.”Should Bairstow be able to play as a batsman in the Southampton Test, there may be another benefit in allowing Ollie Pope to shift down the order. Pope, 20, made his debut in the second Test and has so far made 54 runs in three innings batting at No. 4 – despite having no previous experience in that position in a career spanning 15 first-class matches.”He’s batted no higher than six for Surrey so it was a big ask to come into international cricket and bat four but the short times he’s been at the crease showed that he might be a good international cricketer,” Bayliss said. “We would have probably liked to have started him off down a bit lower but the hole was at No. 4. Obviously, Jonny is an option there as well which might allow Ollie to drop a little lower. These are all things we’ve discussed.”Pressure has also been building on Alastair Cook, with England’s leading Test run-scorer having not gone past 29 in five innings against India. Root indicated after the defeat at Trent Bridge that Cook retained his full backing, and Bayliss suggested that he was not so much out of form as “out of runs”.”Cooky has not changed his demeanour. You wouldn’t know there was any difference between now and when he is scoring plenty of runs. He still practises as hard, if not harder, than anyone else. You watch him play in the nets and he is actually striking the ball quite nicely. His feet move well. I wouldn’t say he is out of form – he is still hitting the ball well – he is out of runs in the middle. But he is giving himself every opportunity. He practises hard and he still plays an active role in his position in the team.”

The opener said his Man-of-the-Match effort was “very satisfying” and gave the team confidence that could hopefully rub off on their supporters as well

Sa'adi Thawfeeq01-Jul-2017After scoring his maiden ODI ton, a Man-of-the-Match effort in a record chase, Solomon Mire said he was hopeful the result would encourage more people in Zimbabwe to support the team.”The win just allows hope for the fans and the people who are following the team. It allows them to stay in and stay involved. Hopefully we will get more support from our people back home and all round the world as well,” said Mire.”There is a bit more belief in the team. When we started today, at one stage we thought we would be chasing quite a big score – about 350. To be able to bring it back the way we did gave us a little bit of momentum going when we went to bat.”We had the belief that if we batted for a long period we would be able to compete in the game, and winning really capped it off for us. It’s such a huge thing for Zimbabwe cricket to be able to win against a top team like Sri Lanka,” he said.Mire, whose previous highest score in 17 ODIs was a 55-ball 54 against Afghanistan, described his 112 off 96 balls as ‘very special’.”It was a very satisfying, especially considering it was such a huge win for us. We have beaten Sri Lanka here for the first time so I am happy to contribute to the win. It was pretty tough and I was cramping up halfway through. I tried to keep re-hydrating, but it is something that takes a bit of time to get used to, the heat. Hopefully going forward we will be better prepared.”We challenged ourselves. We knew that if someone batted a long time and made a hundred, it would put us in a good position to be able to chase. We have been trying to work something like that in the last few months and it was due.”We needed someone to actually put his hand up and score some runs. Luckily, it worked for us today. Going forward the template we will be to try and bat as long as possible and the runs will come,” he said.Zimbabwe’s intent to bat long was studded with runs that came behind the wicket against spinners, particularly through sweeps and reverse sweeps. The opener said it was a conscious effort.”Coming into this series, we were sort of preparing to have those options [the sweep and reverse sweep] for us to use because we were thinking the wickets might be a bit challenging against spin. It worked today and is something that we would try and continue utilising.”

As he prepares for an ODI tri-series in the Caribbean, Mitchell Marsh is happy with his progress in limited overs cricket, but admits he needs more runs in Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2016After having recovered from the side strain that curtailed his IPL stint this year, Mitchell Marsh is ready to play his part in Australia’s busy schedule over the next few months. His immediate focus was on the ODI tri-series in the West Indies from June 3 but then he hoped to cement a Test spot at No. 6 when Australia tour Sri Lanka in July-August.As such, ensuring his body had enough time to heal became a priority. “It was a very minor injury, but a side strain is one of those things where you can turn a ten-day injury into a ten-week injury just like that, so it was best that I came home,” Marsh said of the decision to leave Rising Pune Supergiants in the middle of the season. “Whilst the IPL is a great tournament and I love playing in it, the country always comes first and the right decision was made.”Marsh admitted he has been unable to play as much cricket as he would like due to issues with his fitness and taking such precautions have helped him contribute a lot more consistently for Australia. Since a hamstring injury in the 2014-15 home Tests against India, he has been part of the XI in all three formats quite regularly.”As a young kid, I didn’t value fitness training and getting my body in peak condition, but over the last two years I have really started to make a lot better choices off the field and I’ve seen the results. I’ve played a lot more cricket than I ever had. To get through an international season, which is 12 months of the year, obviously you’re going to have a few niggles going as hard as we do but to get through unscathed was a great reward for the hard work I’ve done.”Appraising his place in the overall set-up, Marsh believed he has developed into a genuine allrounder in the shorter formats, but has some way to go before he can say the same in Test cricket.”I think in the shorter formats, I’ve certainly gained a lot of confidence in both facets of the game and I consider myself a genuine allrounder now,” Marsh said. “But in Test cricket, the proof is in the pudding, I haven’t been able to make as many runs for the team as I would have liked. Although I’ve watched the team make a lot of runs, which is also great, watching your team-mates succeed but I haven’t put the runs on the board yet so I can’t really classify myself as a genuine allrounder in the Test format. I’m hoping that over the next 12 months, that will change and I will be cemented at the No. 6 Test spot.”My bowling was something I had to work extremely hard on if I wanted to be a genuine allrounder. That’s what the selectors want. Got [former Australia bowling coach] Craig McDermott to thank for that. He’s obviously known my father [Geoff Marsh] for a long time so I think anytime that I need him, he’s only going to be a phone call away”Marsh is one of two allrounders headed to Sri Lanka, Moises Henriques being the other and he viewed the competition for spots as a healthy situation.”In a tour like Sri Lanka, I think the more allrounders the better because it gives you an opportunity to play more spinners if the wicket is going to be turning,” Marsh said. “Moises has worked extremely hard. He has been a little unlucky throughout his career with injuries, but I am sure he is going to jump at the opportunity to be back on tour with Australia. I’ve got a great relationship with him. He is a similar sort of player, he has got a lot of experience and I’ll be learning as much as I can from him.”Marsh and the rest of the Australians stopped in New York on Monday before reaching the Caribbean in an attempt to diminish the possible impact of the jet lag on their on-field performances. “Pretty much,” Marsh confirmed. “That’s definitely the case. We’re obviously extremely lucky that Cricket Australia have allowed us to do that. We’ve had a chance to get out and about and see what the city has to offer but we’re still focussed on our task at hand over the next month and we’re looking forward to getting to Guyana first.”Australia begin their tri-series campaign against hosts West Indies on June 5.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has said that the Indian board is willing to extend all kinds of help to Afghanistan, who want to use an Indian venue to play their matches

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-20150:33

‘Afghanistan want a home ground in India’ – Thakur

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has said that the Indian board is willing to extend all kinds of help to Afghanistan, who want to use an Indian venue to play their matches.”Afghanistan Cricket Board has requested BCCI that they want to come and play here, use the infrastructure and also to have one venue as the Afghan venue,” Thakur told . “Their board has requested to create one centre in India which can be dedicated to Afghanistan cricket.”BCCI will be more than happy to accommodate the Afghan cricket team for any kind of help for the promotion of the game.”Asked if any kind of financial assistance will be given to the Afghanistan team by the BCCI, Thakur said: “Let’s see, let them write to BCCI. Any knowledge, any kind of help which Afghanistan board requires, we are more than happy to help them.”Afghanistan have used Sharjah as the venue for some of their bilateral series in the past.

ESPNcricinfo previews the match between Auckland Aces and Perth Scorchers at Centurion

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran22-Oct-2012

Match facts

October 23, 2012
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)Nothing less than an outright win will help Auckland progress•Associated Press

Big Picture

The Champions League rolls on to its final day of league matches, and the semi-finalists are yet to be decided from Group A. The other group, in contrast, wasn’t quite as open or competitive, with Sydney Sixers and Lions already booking their slots in the semis, thereby making Monday’s games inconsequential.As for the opening game on Tuesday, only one of the two teams has something to play for. Auckland Aces are currently third with six points and to beat Perth Scorchers to keep their hopes alive. An outright win will take them to ten points. Their progression will then depend on the result of the second game of the evening, between Delhi Daredevils and Titans. Daredevils will move to 14 points if they win, but if they lose, they will be locked on 10 points with Auckland, and therefore only one of the two will progress, based on superior net run-rate. If Auckland can secure their four points tomorrow, they will hope for a Daredevils victory as it cuts out the net-run-rate scenario.There’s nothing at stake for Perth, though, who were eliminated after losing to Daredevils in a low-scorer at Newlands. Following two consecutive defeats, the Australian side would want to save face with a consolation win. A Perth win will make the second game a dead rubber. Auckland were properly tested for the first time last week when they lost comprehensively to the Titans at Kingsmead. After restricting teams to below-par totals from the qualifying stage, they were set to chase 173, but fell 59 short. Their next game, against Daredevils, was washed out without a ball bowled. Auckland will hope the weather cooperates at Centurion, so they can pick up four points. They have to win, and then watch.Auckland will be without their allrounder Andre Adams, who picked up a abdominal muscle tear while batting against Titans. Having returned home, he is likely to be out for up to three weeks.

Watch out for…

Lou Vincent has made starts, with scores of 20, 19, 30 and 6, but hasn’t lasted more than 16 balls in any innings. He’s in the side to provide strong starts, and a lengthier stint at the crease should make a difference. Vincent has reportedly been keeping the team’s spirits alive by giving “motivational speeches” with his Justin Bieber doll. Some runs with the bat will lift the team greater.Perth’s Mitchell Marsh has hit one of the biggest sixes in the tournament and is the only player from the squad to score 100 runs or more. Perth have only managed scores of 124 (chasing 164) and 121 in their two completed games and if Marsh can fire at the top, he could help his team to an above-par score and test Auckland.

Quotes

“We certainly haven’t played anywhere near what we did last summer, and hopefully that’s going to bug quite a few of the guys to put in a good performance to finish well.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the Kolkata Knight Riders v Warriors CLT20 match

The Preview by Nikita Bastian30-Sep-2011

Match facts

Kolkata Knight Riders v Warriors, October 1, Bangalore
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Johan Botha is among the most economical bowlers in Twenty20 cricket and is closing in on 1000 runs•AFP

Big Picture

Kolkata Knight Riders have finally arrived. After an unconvincing win against Auckland in the Champions League T20 qualifiers and three consecutive losses, the team clicked against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday. The bowlers prised out six wickets in the first 15 overs and kept the run rate below 7.00, before the inevitable late surge. The top order, apart from a few unsightly swings from Brad Haddin early on, were efficient.The question though remains, has it all come together a little too late for the Knight Riders? It’s still down to net run rates and other results going their way. They have all but wiped out their negative net run rate by easing past Royal Challengers, but, to have any chance of a semi-final berth, will need another big win against a team that has looked the best unit in the CLT20 so far: Warriors. In game one, against Royal Challengers, Warriors showed they had the temperament to fight their way out of a tough situation. In their second match, they blew away South Australia. A win here will all but guarantee them a place in the semi-finals.In an aside, Mark Boucher had made it clear he wants to use the tournament as a platform to re-launch his international limited-overs career. With South Africa wicketkeeper AB de Villiers picking up an injury on Wednesday during a practice session with Royal Challengers, Boucher will be eager to make a difference in this match.

Watch out for …

Johan Botha followed up his match-turning partnership with Ashwell Prince against Royal Challengers with a stifling three-over spell against South Australia, in which he picked up Michael Klinger’s wicket and conceded only 11 runs. He boasts of the best economy rate (200 overs minimum) in the shortest format – 6.01 – and is 24 runs short of 1000 Twenty20 runs. Will he get past the landmark on Saturday?Returning after a nasty concussion, Gautam Gambhir looked scratchy in the short time he spent at the crease in Knight Riders’ previous two matches. Against Royal Challengers though, he seemed to regain his touch, manoeuvring the spinners with ease and stroking sixes down the ground. His return to form is a big boost for a side that’s fighting for survival.

Team news

Knight Riders got their opening combinations just right on Thursday – Jacques Kallis bowling up front and Haddin at the top of the batting order worked well. They have finally seem to found some rhythm, so it seems unlikely that they will tamper too much with their XI. One change they will ponder is whether to bring back the experienced L Balaji for Jaydev Unadkat, who went for plenty against Royal Challengers.Warriors made only one change in their last match, playing Kelly Smuts in place of Justin Kreusch down the order, and are unlikely to tweak their line-up much here either. The big-hitting Craig Thyssen has been dismissed cheaply in both games, but as he hasn’t had much of a chance to get going, he should play.

Stats and trivia

• So far in the tournament, JJ Smuts has the most runs from boundaries in an innings – 52 off his 88 runs against South Australia came in fours and sixes
• Kallis and Gambhir’s century partnership against Royal Challengers is the second-highest for any wicket in the tournament

Quotes

“Brett and Kallis bowled tremendously in the first six overs [against Royal Challengers]. But we have concerns regarding our bowling at the death and that needs to be addressed.”
“We would like to finish first.”

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has expressed shock at the appointment of Misbah-ul-Haq as Test captain for the upcoming series against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2010Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has expressed shock at the appointment of Misbah-ul-Haq as Test captain for the upcoming series against South Africa.”I was surprised when I heard that Misbah has been named the Pakistan captain,” Akram told Mobile ESPN. “He has been out of the team since the beginning of the year and to bring him back as a captain was a bit shocking.”Misbah was a regular member of the Pakistan middle-order in all formats following his comeback to the side in 2007. He was dropped after a lean trot during the Test series in Australia that ended in January this year. Despite a surprise appearance for the 2010 World Twenty20 in the West Indies in May, few expected him to make another Test appearance.Pakistan’s current leadership crisis, following Shahid Afridi’s latest retirement from Tests and Salman Butt’s suspension for alleged involvement in spot-fixing, forced the board to recall Misbah and appoint him as their fourth Test captain in 2010 alone.”They did not have too many choices,” Akram reasoned. “Kamran Akmal is there but he is inexperienced. They have also tried Shoaib Malik. Mohammad Yousuf is making a comeback after a long time and he should just concentrate on his batting at the moment.”If they have named him the captain for one series, it’s okay. He is already 36 and the PCB needs to find a long-term solution to this problem. I do not know the vision of the selectors.”Pakistan have endured a torrid period following the controversial tour of England and Akram noted Misbah would have a key role as a leader in the South Africa series, both on and off the field. “Misbah will be under pressure. He will have to improve the image of Pakistan cricket. For Misbah handling the media and getting runs himself could be demanding.”The wickets in Dubai might suit Misbah’s style of batting, but you cannot take the South Africans lightly. They are a very tough opposition under any conditions. Misbah needs to work hard and make sure he earns the faith of the team. If he gets runs, everything else will take care of itself.”

After the surgery in London, Sai Sudharsan put out an Instagram post saying “will be back stronger in no time”

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2024B Sai Sudharsan has undergone surgery in London for a sports hernia, and put out a social-media post on Tuesday saying, “Will be back stronger in no time.”Sudharsan, the 23-year-old Tamil Nadu and Gujarat Titans (GT) batter who is understood to be on the fringes of the India Test team – he has already made his international debut in ODIs and T20Is – played only one Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 game, scoring 9 against Tripura, before heading to the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. He is expected to miss the entire Vijay Hazare Trophy 50-over domestic tournament, from December 21 to January 18.