James Neesham strikes 91 as Northamptonshire lead Kent by 252 runs with five second-innings wickets in hand

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2022Northamptonshire 303 and 284 for 5 (Rickelton101*, Neesham 91) lead Kent 335 (Cox 72, Denly 63, Leaning 63, White 4-62, Sanderson 4-63) by 252 runsA tense final day could be in store in the LV= Insurance County Championship at Canterbury, where Northamptonshire lead Kent by 252, having reached 284 for 5 at stumps, aided by an unbeaten 101 from Ryan Rickelton.On a see-sawing day at the St Lawrence, Kent were all out for 335, adding just 48 to their overnight score for a modest lead of 32. Jack White took 4 for 62 and Ben Sanderson 4 for 63, while Jordan Cox was the top scorer with 72.The hosts then reduced Northamptonshire to 64 for 3, but a stand of 158 between Rickelton and James Neesham batted them out of immediate danger.Neesham’s 91 came from just 100 balls and having started day three as underdogs, Northamptonshire now look a strong bet for at least a draw against their Division One relegation rivals.The hosts had ended day two eyeing a substantial lead after closing on 287 for 5, but Northamptonshire mopped up their final five wickets in little over an hour.Cox was the first man to go, having added just nine to his overnight score of 63 when he left a straight one to White and was bowled.George Linde then edged a Sanderson delivery through the slips for the four that put Kent in the lead but it was his only scoring shot as he nicked the same bowler behind in his next over.Grant Stewart went for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 7, hooking Sanderson to White at fine leg and when Sam Billings edged White to Ricardo Vasconcelos at first slip for 44, he repeatedly jabbed his bat into the ground in frustration.Showing little faith in the No. 11 Matt Quinn, Matt Milnes then holed out to Sanderson and was caught by Josh Cobb for 4.Northamptonshire slashed Kent’s lead to five by the lunch interval, but they lost Emilio Gay soon after, when he got a leading edge to Stewart and was caught by Ben Compton.Stewart then snared Vasconcelos, who was the victim of a tumbling catch by Billings for 19 and with Luke Procter suffering from a foot injury, Rob Keogh was the next man in. When he was given out caught behind for 13, trying to hook Daniel Bell-Drummond, Nothamptonshire were in deep trouble but Rickelton and Neesham turned the game with a stand that lasted more than two hours.While Rickelton paced himself, Neesham thrashed his way past 50 before eventually getting caught and bowled by Joe Denly nine runs short of a debut hundred.Josh Cobb then came in for a quickfire innings of 26, which ended when Zak Crawley held a sharp slip catch off Linde, before Rickelton reached three figures just before the close with a straight drive off Stewart for 2 and while all results remain possible, the visitors will be far happier at the end of day three than they were at the start of it.

Also shares news that Hetmyer has passed his fitness tests and will be available for WI selection soon

Deivarayan Muthu27-Jul-20223:26

Pooran: We’re finding different ways to lose games

West Indies have lost their last eight ODIs, but their captain Nicholas Pooran believes that they aren’t far away from identifying their strengths and putting wins on the board. Pooran drew confidence from West Indies’ first two ODIs against India where they put up 300-plus totals.”We’re just starting to obviously put performances together,” Pooran said on the eve of the third ODI. “I don’t want to come to a conclusion and say our batting is our strength or our bowling is our strength. As a team we’re still figuring it out. We haven’t put a collective effort together yet, obviously the results haven’t shown that yet, but the more games we play as a unit, we’re going to figure it out and we’re close to crossing the line and actually figuring it out what is our strength as a team.”I don’t want to be saying that our batting is our strength or bowling is our strength. I want both facets to be our strength, to be honest. That’s how we’re going to win cricket games. We’re just staying the moment, trying to learn as fast as possible and sticking through these tough times as a team.”Pooran conceded that West Indies are still hurting after suffering heartbreaking defeats in the first two ODIs but backed his side to regroup and avoid a 3-0 sweep on Wednesday.”The confidence level is there,” Pooran said. “The guys are obviously hurt. Those two losses obviously hurt us a lot but that’s another game and that’s another experience and another opportunity for us to learn. This game keeps teaching us different things and I’m just happy that we’ve had that experience. It’s difficult to obviously lose, I’m disappointed, but that’s where the learning takes place and as a group we understand that and we know that for a fact that it’s our time now.”I keep telling winning and losing is contagious and at the moment in ODI cricket we’re losing and we’re finding ways to lose games, but in terms of the confidence level all the guys are ready for the challenge again. We’re ready to come out there and put our hearts and souls out there and perform together as a team.”Related

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Shai Hope was particularly despondent after his century in his 100th ODI ended in vain for West Indies on Sunday. Hope’s career strike rate of 75.11, which is the lowest among the 16 highest run-getters in ODI cricket since his debut in November 2016, has probably divided opinion about his role in the modern era, but Pooran stressed that Hope’s ability to dig in and bat for long frees up the batters at the other end.”His role has remained the same for the last five years,” Pooran said of Hope.” I think he just needs to bat and bat through. He doesn’t need to study about the strike rate or any other thing. He just needs to be out there for the team. We know once he’s there, he’s going to score runs for us and that is what matters the most, I think. He just being out there obviously sends a message and there’s a bit of a calm in the dressing room as well.”We know at one end he’s holding up things and other guys just need to fine-tune themselves to do their job and do what the team is required of them at that moment. He’s very important to our team and he knows that. Time and time again, he keeps putting his hands up and keep proving to everyone how good he is as a player.”Pooran was also wary of managing his workload as well as those of his team-mates as West Indies prepare for a hectic season. Just one day after the ongoing ODI series ends, West Indies will face India again in a five-match T20I series in the Caribbean and the USA. This will be followed by a visit from New Zealand for three T20Is and three ODIs.Ten days after the New Zealand series ends, West Indies’ players will be in action in the CPL, which runs from August 31 to September 30. Then, just days after the CPL ends, West Indies will tour Australia for two T20Is, in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.”That’s a tough one because as a group we want to win and we want all our players to be available for us,” Pooran said. “But in seeing that we need to look after our players and that’s the key as a collective effort for the coach, chairman of selectors and myself, we need to determine… not only myself but the other guys who we believe need to rest.”Obviously, that’s very important with eight T20 games coming up, four more ODIs and then CPL coming up and the addition of the 6IXTY and the CPL, we definitely need to manage the players. How? I’m not too sure, but we need to figure it out and be smart about it as well. But, at the end of the day, we want to win, and we need to have all our guys to be available to us.”Hetmyer passes fitness test
Pooran revealed that batter Shimron Hetmyer has cleared a fitness test and will be available for selection in the near future. Hetmyer, who had omitted from West Indies’ recent white-ball squads, had linked up with the ODI group in Port of Spain to work with the trainers and coaches. He had last represented West Indies in November 2021, in the T20 World Cup in the UAE.”He [Hetmyer] passed his fitness test this morning, which is wonderful news,” Pooran said. “So, we expect him to see him back as soon as possible. I can’t tell you exactly when because I’m not sure, but as soon as possible and as soon as you can get him on the field.”

Johnson Charles also returns; Yannic Cariah preferred over Hayden Walsh

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2022West Indies have recalled Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles to their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, and have made a surprise pick by including the uncapped legspin-bowling allrounder Yannic Cariah, who last played a T20 in 2016. The selectors left out the experienced duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.Lewis last played international cricket at last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, and had since missed out on West Indies’ squads for fitness reasons. Over recent months, CWI lead selector Desmond Haynes and director of cricket Jimmy Adams had been critical of West Indies’ players – Lewis in particular – for failing to meet fitness standards, but Haynes has now welcomed Lewis back to the team.”Someone like Evin Lewis, we all agree that he’s our best one-day cricketer, he’s done so well for us over the years,” Haynes told Ian Bishop in an interview on the sidelines of Wednesday’s CPL game between Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. “We had a meeting with him, and he’s committed to West Indies cricket, and I believe he should be given the opportunity.”Sometimes we have to move on and appreciate when people come to us and explain their position to us, and if we agree, we give them a chance,” Haynes later said in a press conference.The 15-man squad that will represent West Indies at the 2022 T20 World Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Russell also last featured for West Indies during last year’s T20 World Cup. He has had a quiet time in CPL 2022 so far with Trinbago Knight Riders, particularly with the bat, managing a top score of just 17.Cariah, 30, made his West Indies debut during last month’s ODI series against New Zealand and his experience in the T20 format is limited to four games, the last of which came during the 2016 CPL. Cariah is not contracted to a CPL team this season.The selectors picked Cariah ahead of Hayden Walsh, who had been the preferred wristspin option over recent months.”When we look at consistency, we don’t feel that Hayden is consistent enough,” Haynes said. “We don’t write off anybody, because Hayden is somebody we have invested in, and we believe that he still stands a chance of playing for the West Indies, and we hope again that he is another one that will continue to do well in the CPL and give himself a chance to be selected.”Haynes was confident Cariah could do a job in T20 cricket despite his limited experience of the format.”I think Yannic has impressed us from the time we picked him for the A team,” Haynes said. “And then we gave him the opportunity to play against New Zealand in the 50-overs competition, and I think going to Australia, I know we’ve got a lot of confidence in him, we think that he’s bowling well enough that [he] can play in the T20 format. It’s a bit unfortunate that he’s not in the CPL, we have no control over that, but we think that he is a guy who we feel can do a job for us. I don’t think you can underrate his batting either.”Fabian Allen, who recently announced his availability for selection after taking a break for family reasons, was absent from the squad. Haynes said Allen was unfortunate to miss out with the squad having room for only one left-arm spinner in Akeal Hosein.Apart from Cariah, the squad includes one other uncapped T20I player in Raymon Reifer, the left-arm seam-bowling allrounder who has played three Tests and five ODIs. Reifer has been in excellent form for Jamaica Tallawahs in the ongoing CPL, scoring 171 runs in four innings at an average of 57 and a strike rate of 143.69.Among other seam-bowling allrounders, there was no room for Romario Shepherd – Haynes termed his exclusion “another close call” – while Dominic Drakes was unavailable due to a knee injury.”His bowling has gone off a little bit and he is very good in the backend with six-hitting. It was a close thing, but because of the composition of the side, he missed out on this occasion,” Haynes said of Shepherd’s exclusion.CPL form has also led to a recall for Charles, who last played a T20I in December 2016. Charles is presently the second-highest run-getter in CPL 2022, with 227 runs in six innings at an average of 45.40 and a strike rate of 136.74.Charles, Haynes said, would fill the role of reserve wicketkeeper in West Indies’ squad behind Pooran.”Judging from his performances in the CPL, he [Charles] is experienced as well, he had a tour of Australia, he’s done well down there, and also we are looking at someone who can be the second keeper,” Haynes said.

George Bartlett adds 62 to century third-wicket stand against Northants attack not helped in the field

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2022Tom Abell’s fourth century of the season led a solid Somerset batting display against Northamptonshire at Taunton, on the day his club paid tribute to one of their most prolific ever run-scorers.The lunch interval on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship game saw the unveiling of the James Hildreth Stand by the player himself, who recently announced his retirement.Hildreth hit more than 27,000 runs for Somerset, including 54 centuries, in over 700 appearances across all competitions, and ranks behind only Harold Gimblett and Marcus Trescothick in terms of first class runs for his only county.Skipper Abell marked the renaming of the River Stand at the Cooper Associates County Ground with a textbook innings of 111, which Hildreth would have taken pride in, as Somerset ran up 271 for 4 after winning the toss.George Bartlett contributed 62 to a third-wicket stand of 134 against some accurate Northamptonshire bowling, not aided by dropped catches. Seamers Ben Sanderson and Jack White, in particular, did not enjoy the best of fortune early on.Opener Tom Lammonby had made only two when spilled at second slip by Emilio Gay off Sanderson, diving to his right.With Somerset’s total advanced to 25, Gay produced a virtual action replay, again failing to hang onto a chance offered by Imam-ul-Haq, on 13, as he dived in front of first slip, Lizaad Williams being the unlucky bowler.The escape allowed Somerset to progress carefully to 49 in the 25th over before Gay atoned by clinging onto an edge from Imam off White. The Pakistan Test opener departed for 25, off 69 deliveries.It was 55 for one off 30 overs at lunch, Lammonby having moved to 23. As against Warwickshire in the second innings of their previous game, Somerset displayed a patience missing from their top order batting for much of the season.Lammonby was understandably frustrated when, having worked hard to get to 30, he edged Sanderson to second slip where the busy Gay accepted a diving chance.Abell and Bartlett built steadily from 72 for 2, adding 91 before tea, which was taken with the Somerset captain having reached a 99-ball half-century.By then there was little assistance from the pitch for the Northants attack, who kept a grip on the scoring rate without often threatening a breakthrough.The final session saw Bartlett go to fifty off 111 balls, with six fours, shortly after the century stand had been brought up. It was another impressive contribution from the 24-year-old following his century at Edgbaston last week.Bartlett, who spent much of the season in the second XI following an early shoulder injury, launched a six over wide long-on off Rob Keogh before falling two balls later.Pushing forward defensively, he edged a catch to Northants skipper Will Young, the only slip. The stand with Abell had occupied 39 overs and put Somerset in control.It was 227 for 3 when the second new ball was taken, with Abell on 91. He went to a chanceless ton with a three to third-man off Sanderson, having faced 164 balls and hit 13 fours.Lewis Goldsworthy had helped add 53 for the fourth wicket when Abell sacrificed his wicket needlessly. Having stroked White to deep cover for a comfortable single, he turned for a second run that was never there and when Goldsworthy failed to respond, was easily run out by Williams’ throw to the bowler’s end.Goldsworthy and James Rew saw Somerset through to the close, with the sun shining and the floodlights on, and their team will be targeting four batting points tomorrow.

Axar Patel moves to 18th among bowlers, while Harry Brook and Ben Duckett also move up in the batters’ list

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2022Suryakumar Yadav has returned to his career-best No. 2 spot, a rise of one position, in the latest ICC T20I batting rankings.Just one slot and two rating points below Suryakumar is Babar Azam. He also moved up by one position, thanks to his scores of 110*, 8 and 36 in the ongoing seven-match T20I series against England. Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 88*, 8 and 88 in those three games, continued to head the list with a comfortable 60-point lead over second-placed Suryakumar.

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After a first-ball duck in the second T20I against Australia, Suryakumar struck a 36-ball 69 in the third match in Hyderabad to help India win the series 2-1.Pakistan have three more T20Is to go in their seven-match series at home against England, while India now play a three-T20I series at home against South Africa, providing all those three batters a chance to strengthen their positions and, for Suryakumar and Babar, even move up the ladder.England’s Harry Brook and Ben Duckett also made significant progress in the latest update. Both of them struck a half-century and two other scores of over 30 each in their last three games. As a result, Brook has moved to the 29th position and Duckett to the 32nd.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the bowler’s rankings, Axar Patel was the big mover, climbing up from 33rd to 18th after his Player-of-the-Series performance against Australia. In a series dominated by the bat, Axar picked up eight wickets in three games while giving away only 6.30 runs per over.Josh Hazlewood is still at the top there, after picking up three wickets from three games, and is followed by five wristspinners – Tabraiz Shamsi, Adil Rashid, Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga and Adam Zampa, in that order. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, at tenth position, is the only other fast bowler in top ten, while Haris Rauf has moved to 14th, up by seven places after taking five wickets in the last three matches.In the ODI rankings that considered performances in five matches of the Cricket World Cup League 2 in Port Morseby, Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus has gained 38 places to be joint-49th after his 49 against Papua New Guinea.

The ‘bold and brash’ players in the opposition camp will ‘bring out the best’ in his side, South Africa captain says

Firdose Moonda01-Dec-2022″Bring it,” is South Africa’s message to Australia as they head Down Under in search of a fourth, successive away series win against the opponents.It’s been more than four years since they last played each other, in the series that became known for the sandpaper-gate scandal but also ranks as one of South Africa’s biggest successes in the last decade. It was the first time they claimed a series win against Australia at home since readmission. The residue from that series litters the entrance hall to this one and there’s every expectation that the action will take place as much off the field as on it.Related

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“Because we are playing in their home conditions, it’s going to be pretty feisty,” Dean Elgar, South Africa’s Test captain, said ahead of their departure on Thursday. “The individuals they have within their squad are pretty brash and bold – in your face kind of characters and that can work in our favour. I think that plays into our hands. We enjoy that confrontation as a group and we manage it pretty well. We’ve got calm heads around that. If they want to be in your face, it’s fine. I definitely don’t shy away from that and I will be encouraging the players not to shy away from that, because I think that’s when South Africans bring out their best.”Elgar’s team, however, is not in the same state as Faf du Plessis’ was in 2018. Although they presently sit second on the World Test Championship (WTC) table, they are closer to the 2019 outfit that toured India with an interim team director at the helm, who was being sent on his first international assignment to one of the most difficult places to play Tests, and an impending administrative crisis looming. This 2022 side also has a temporary coach, who will make his debut. He too is taking South Africa to a tough place and there’s no indication of when permanent appointments will be made. But there is one difference. Elgar revealed that he requested Malibongwe Maketa to take over from Mark Boucher and that he and Enoch Nkwe (the team director from 2019 who is now director of cricket) are on the same page.”Mali is one of the coaches I asked our director (Nkwe) to try and get in to be interim. I’m glad I got that one right,” Elgar said. “It’s nice to have a DOC that has got cricket at heart and is backing his leadership that needs to be backed. Mali understands his role, which is going to be a supportive role, and he understands me as a cricketer, as a person and as a leader. Mali comes with quite a lot of experience. He has been around the block as long as I can remember.”Maketa worked as head coach for the Warriors franchise in South Africa’s domestic circuit from 2015 to 2017, as Ottis Gibson’s assistant for the national side between 2017 and 2019, and most recently as the South African A coach. He was also on the tour in England earlier this year and has worked with most of the squad members in some capacity over the last decade. He is one of the few consistent presences on the South African scene, which Elgar thinks they need more than anything as the Test team evolves.”The environment has changed drastically (since 2019) but in a good way. We’ve tried to keep our core players so the consistency has always been pretty stable. We have evolved immensely and really played good cricket in the Test arena but we are still trying to push for the consistency factor which is going to be key going into a big series,” he said.Arguably, this is the biggest test for South Africa for at least the next three years. It’s their last three-Test series until they host Australia in 2026, a must-win if they are to reach the WTC final and their first in Australia over the festive period since 2008. That means no-one in the current squad has played a Test at the MCG or the SCG or soaked in the atmosphere of such an occasion.”Growing up as a kid, you’d always wake up for these Boxing Day Test matches Down Under and you don’t mind losing a few hours’ sleep,” Elgar said. “Now we’ve got 16 players who are going to experience it first-hand. It’s a childhood dream of mine to experience this. Playing a Boxing Day and a New Year’s Test in Australia – I don’t think you get bigger than that.”

Daniel Sams’ cameo earlier had helped Thunder get to 182 after James Bazley’s four-for

AAP29-Dec-2022A magnificent batting performance from Brisbane Heat opener Colin Munro wasn’t quite enough to help the bottom-placed team avoid another BBL defeat to the Sydney Thunder.Two days after beating Heat by 10 wickets, Thunder saluted again at Metricon Stadium on Thursday, winning by 11 runs, despite a sensational 98 from Munro.Thunder made Heat regret their decision to bowl first as they brought up their biggest score of the season. But the result came at a cost for Thunder after strike bowler Gurinder Sandhu sustained a left calf strain bowling the first ball of the Heat innings, putting his availability for the match with Hobart Hurricanes on Saturday in doubt.Things looked dire for the Heat when they slumped to 14 for 2 in the second over but Munro was undeterred by his team’s predicament, ensuring Heat kept going at a good rate with spectacular hitting as wickets tumbled around him.Munro played a lone hand for Heat, smacking three sixes and nine fours, and going at a strike rate of 185 in his 53-ball innings.Unfortunately for the New Zealander, though, hardly any of his teammates stuck around to help in the run chase, with James Bazley (29 off 24 balls) the only one who provided meaningful support, combining for a 48-run sixth-wicket partnership with Munro.After spinners Chris Green and Usman Qadir put the brakes on between the 13th and 16th overs, Heat’s required run rate exceeded 12.5 as they went 26 balls without a boundary And when Qadir had Bazley plumb lbw with 16 balls to go, Heat’s assignment became very difficult.A controversial ball change in the final over brought about an immediate result as Nathan McAndrew had Munro caught at deep midwicket – one of three wickets to fall in the space of five balls.Late fireworks from Daniel Sams, Alex Ross and Oliver Davies helped propel Thunder to their imposing score. Sams was especially destructive, hammering four sixes, including back-to-back sixes off Mitchell Swepson, one of which sailed into the second tier.Earlier in the innings, Rilee Rossouw and Matthew Gilkes combined for a 57-run second-wicket partnership to lay down a solid foundation for Thunder.James Bazley, who was the only inclusion to Heat’s line-up for this match, was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 22 from his four overs and finding himself on a hat-trick in the final over.Wicketkeeper Gilkes also took one of the catches of the season when he dove to his left at full stretch and snaffled a spectacular one-handed grab to dismiss Heat captain Jimmy Peirson attempting to hook McAndrew down the leg side.

South Africa’s white-ball captain has promised a different, more-assertive style of play in ODIs against England

Firdose Moonda26-Jan-2023Temba Bavuma will continue as South Africa’s white-ball captain for as long as his team-mates and management want him to. Bavuma, who said he would not make a rash decision about his leadership future after South Africa were booted out of the T20 World Cup at the hands of Netherlands in November, has since had “conversations with the relevant people and remains committed to the role.””At the T20 World Cup, the question [about captaincy] was asked. It was obviously quite an emotional time. It was a bit unfair to be asked that question right after walking off the field after a loss,” Bavuma said ahead of South Africa’s World Cup Super League series against England. “Conversations were had with the relevant people and I am still in it. I’ve said to the guys if they would still like me to be the guy to lead, I am happy to do it. I’ve never ever made it about me, it’s always been about the team. I don’t think you’ve ever heard me say that it’s about me and I.”However, Bavuma, who is under more pressure in T20Is than in ODIs, indicated that if the new coaching staff wants to move on from him, he will accept that decision. “If the team wants to go in a different direction with a different leader, I am happy to step away,” Bavuma said. “Ultimately it’s up to the coach. We have got a new coach and a new coaching staff; the coach will have his vision and he will need somebody to drive that vision. At the moment the coach has entrusted me with that role so I will continue doing my best. Fortunately, I have got a bunch of guys that support me. For me, it’s business as usual for now.”Related

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Last week, South Africa unveiled Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter to the national men’s red-ball and white-ball jobs respectively. Walter will only arrive in South Africa in February so Conrad has been entrusted with overseeing the England series and no major changes were made to South Africa’s ODI squad. Bavuma has promised a slightly different approach, as South Africa look to be more assertive in their style of play. “It’s something that has been spoken about – wanting to be a lot more positive, wanting to be a lot more brave and always looking to take the option that puts either the batter or the bowler under pressure,” he said.But he did not go as far as saying South Africa will look to emulate England’s uber-aggressive blueprint, which they have adopted in all formats.”They are the pioneers – not just white-ball cricket, even in red-ball cricket,” Bavuma said. “We are South Africans. We have our way of thinking, our way of doing things. There’s nothing wrong with us taking a little bit from England, putting it together and seeing what comes about. With the personnel we have, guys going out and expressing themselves…if that equates to a South African Bazball way of playing – to use a stupid term – then so be it. If it means we are going to go out there and block the shit out of the ball, so be it.”The latter is unlikely to serve South Africa well in what are crucial matches if they hope to automatically qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup. South Africa are currently 11th on the points table and need to win at least three of their remaining five matches to secure a spot in the top eight. That means they must win at least one of the three matches against England in the next week to stay in the hunt, with two matches to come against Netherlands at the end of the summer.While Bavuma is aware of the critical state of South Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign, he has not made it the sole focus of the series and instead wants them to concentrate in building a new brand of cricket as they enter another new era. “We know where we stand in terms of how many games we need to win,” he said. “We’d like to shift our focus a little bit, looking to the World Cup. It’s an opportunity for us to clear up our identity and how we would like to play and we would like to use these games as an opportunity to do that. We know what we need to do and if it means in June we are playing in the qualifiers, that’s something we are prepared to do. That’s something everyone is prepared to do looking at the decision that was made to make way for the SA20.”South Africa forfeited three ODIs in Australia in January so the national squad could return home for the start of the new T20 franchise tournament. Bavuma was snubbed at the auction and did not get a deal for the inaugural edition which he said left him feeling “let down” at the time. He has gone under the radar as the tournament kicked off and used the time to “take it easy and connect with family,” but “tried to watch one or two games at the SA20 and it was quite fun.”

Fastest hundred in Lions history secures useful lead as Sri Lanka reply strongly

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2023Sri Lanka A 332 (Croospulle 128) and 202 for 3 (Madushka 84*, Mendis 67) lead England Lions 405 (Smith 126, Lees 97, Bohannon 54) by 129 runsJamie Smith struck a 71-ball century, the fastest in England Lions history, to give his side an outside chance of a victory push in the second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Galle.Smith’s effort surpassed Luke Wright’s 91-ball hundred against New Zealand A in 2008-09, and featured 13 fours and eight sixes all told. By the time he was dismissed for 126 from 82 balls, he had formed the backbone of the Lions’ 405 in 76.4 overs.Alex Lees, who himself made a 94-ball hundred in the Lions’ warm-up match earlier in the tour, chipped in with 97 from 113 balls, while Josh Bohannon made 54 from 62.Their efforts allowed the Lions to build a first-innings lead of 73, and though Sri Lanka A responded well to reach 202 for 3 by the close, with half-centuries from Nishan Madushka and Kamindu Mendis, they did chip out three wickets in that time, including Mendis for 67 shortly before stumps.”It is certainly the most entertaining and most enjoyable innings that I have ever played,” Smith said afterwards. “I would say it is the best innings that I have ever played.”I didn’t know that it was a record century and I didn’t go out there to achieve that obviously. When you get in that situation and you’re flying along you are just focusing on being positive and trying to hit boundaries – hit the ball as far and as hard as I can.”The Lions team has been noticeably positive in its approach to batting on this tour, and Smith acknowledged that the success of the Test team under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum had been an inspirational factor.”You definitely take on board the style of play that the England team are employing because that’s the style they want to see,” he said. “I always knew I had the talent to play that way but to get out here and to do it is really positive for me.”The coaching staff here give you the freedom to go out and play that way. There are no limits as to what you can do. I’m not focusing on whether I get out, it’s about how you can make runs and being positive. That has certainly helped me to make runs here and play the way I did.”At the age of 22, Smith – who is also keeping wicket on this trip – is very much one of the coming men on the county circuit, and was picked for his first Lions tour after playing his part in Surrey’s County Championship victory last season.”It is the next step in my career and it has been an opportunity to show my skills and test myself against some really good bowlers,” he said. “It’s good to get in this environment and to play against spin and try and adapt my game to that.”The pitch is pretty flat but the beauty of us scoring so quickly is that it gives us an opportunity and time to bowl them out. We’ll aim to do that in the morning and then well hopefully have a chase. We won’t fear chasing any total.”

Spinner Jack Sinfield claimed three wickets on his Shield debut for Queensland

AAP21-Feb-2023Wicketkeeper Matthew Gilkes posted his highest Sheffield Shield score to lift NSW from a precarious position on day one of their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.NSW, who require victory at the Gabba to avoid a record winless run, were lurching before Gilkes’s innings helped them reach 9 for 311 at stumps.Gilkes, whose previous best in an 18-match first-class career was 83, reached his seventh half-century only to be dismissed minutes before stumps for 94.Gilkes struck 14 boundaries in a 160-ball knock before directing a Xavier Bartlett delivery into the hands of Joe Burns.NSW were struggling at 5 for 134 and with all five recognised batters back in the pavilion after Queensland elected to send the visitors in to bat.
Gilkes added 60 for the sixth wicket with Hayden Kerr (24).Chris Green followed up his maiden half century last week with 52 as he and Gilkes added another 91 for the eighth wicket.Queensland bowled a consistent line and length during the morning session to leave NSW 3 for 70 at lunch in a session that included the key scalp of heavy-scoring opener Daniel Hughes (21).Other batters failing to build on starts were Kurtis Patterson (31), Moises Henriques (23) and Jason Sangha (34).Queensland lined up with two debutants in the form of Aryan Jain and teenage offspinner Jackson Sinfield.The latter, who came into the side in place of Test call-up Matt Kuhnemann, picked up 3 for 70 with NSW skipper Patterson being his first Shield victim when he chipped to midwicket.