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.

Opener scores second hundred of season as teams shake hands on draw

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2023An impressive, unbeaten first century on his home ground from Leicestershire’s Rishi Patel brought pleasant compensation to spectators who witnessed their side’s LV=Insurance County Championship match with Glamorgan fizzle out as a draw on the final day.Patel, 24, whose potential has excited the coaching staff at Grace Road since his move from Essex in 2020, seems now to be realising it. This was his second hundred in three matches after breaking his duck by driving his team to an epic victory over Yorkshire at Headingley three weeks ago.He played superbly, rarely making an error let alone offering a chance, hitting 18 fours and three sixes in his career-best 134 not out before Leicestershire declared their second innings on 252 for 3, most of them coming cleanly off the bat as he picked off boundaries all round the wicket.His captain, Lewis Hill, was unlucky not to join him on three figures, dragging one on to his stumps for 82 having never looked in any trouble, the two sharing a 203-run partnership for the second wicket.Earlier, Glamorgan had extended their overnight lead from 39 to 58 in losing their last two first-innings wickets as they were all out for 465, Chris Cooke the final man to depart after hitting 132. Veteran Leicestershire seamer Chris Wright finished with 5 for 89.Bottom of the table last season, Leicestershire are beginning to look like a team with promotion potential this year, having topped 400 first-innings runs in all three Championship matches played so far and compiling seven partnerships of 100 runs or more in those games, compared with nine in total in the 2022 campaign.Cooke’s century for the visitors followed his unbeaten 191 in the corresponding fixture last season, when his contribution was somewhat overshadowed by Sam Northeast’s epic 410 not out in Glamorgan’s record 795 for 5 declared. It was a match that was arguably the nadir of a desperate Leicestershire season as they lost by an innings despite themselves making 584 in their first innings.This time, in the lead rather than supporting role, Cooke lost his middle stump making room to swing hard as Wright completed a five-wicket haul for the first time since September 2021.Two overs earlier, Andrew Salter had departed in unfortunate and uncomfortable circumstances, a ball from Wright jagging back to strike him somewhere around his protective box and rolling on to the stumps as he dropped to his haunches.Having been 155 for 5, Glamorgan will have felt well satisfied that their second five wickets had put on double that runs tally. Doing so had taken so long, however, on top of overs lost earlier to the weather, that there was little prospect of fashioning a positive result.Glamorgan’s only hope was that they could bowl Leicestershire out in around 50 of the 87 overs still to play and give themselves a modest target in such time that remained. Michael Neser gave them an encouraging start, having opener Sol Budinger out for a single when he prodded at one outside off stump and gave David Lloyd the simplest of catches at first slip.Yet such optimism as that wicket might have stirred was tempered in the next over as Patel pounced on a leg-side delivery from Timm van der Gugten with such timing and vigour that the ball sailed out of the ground and into Milligan Road, coming to rest under a parked van. He followed up with a crisp drive through cover for four.It was an indication of what was to come as Patel picked up boundaries all round the ground. He hammered 18 in one over off Salter soon after lunch, back-to-back swept fours taking him to 51 from 74 balls with nine fours and a six, which he celebrated with another six down the ground off the offspinner, followed by a clip for four through midwicket.Salter recovered well and with Neser taking over from van der Gugten at the Bennett End the flow of runs was temporarily stemmed. But Patel got going again when Marnus Labuschagne replaced Salter, reverse sweeping the Australian to the fence to go to 98 before driving Jamie McIlroy’s medium pace through mid-off to complete a hundred off 137 balls, containing 17 fours and two sixties.Hill went past fifty off 91 balls soon afterwards as Leicestershire’s lead topped 100 with very little doing for any of the bowlers under high cloud.The Leicestershire skipper must have had an eye on his second century of the season but missed out, falling just before tea on 82 as his counterpart Lloyd picked up a first wicket in the second innings, to which he added a second when Colin Ackermann holed out to deep midwicket soon after tea, before the teams shook hands on the inevitable draw at 4.50pm.

Surrey go back to the top of Division One after Middlesex fail to put up a fight on day four

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-May-2023Surrey 380 (Smith 97, Burns 88) and 73 for 1 beat Middlesex 209 (Robson 76, Malan 66, Worrall 5-48) and 240 (Holden 43, Clark 4-25) by nine wicketsIt bodes well for Surrey and not for the rest of Division One that while they did not perform to their best against Middlesex, they still won convincingly. Not just by nine wickets in the end, but with 46 overs to spare on day four. Considering the amount of time lost to rain, that last number reinforces the difference between them and their London rivals.From 128 for 3 overnight, Middlesex were rolled for 240, with three to Jordan Clark who finished with 4 for 25 from his nine overs. That he came on third change says all you need to know of the depth of talent at the 2022 champions’ disposal. A target of 70 took just 16.4 overs to polish off, with Ryan Patel taking charge at the end with a flurry of boundaries to pocket some decent red ink.Could there have been more tension? No doubt. Certainly, if Rory Burns’ dismissal had been followed up by that of Dom Sibley four deliveries later. The opener edged Toby Roland-Jones just wide of third slip after Tim Murtagh had forced Burns to find first. Perhaps at 17 for 2, panic might have ensued. In the end, Sibley and Patel made light work of the remaining runs, a half-century stand coming up in 60 balls, before Patel heaved the part-time offspin of Mark Stoneman to the midwicket fence to confirm victory by 3.05pm .A day that offered Middlesex the opportunity of pulling off something special or frustrating Surrey fell away quickly. The morning loss of three middle-order batters for just 55 runs dented hopes of the remarkable and the defiant.Make no mistake, the visitors conceded this match on day one, certainly hopes of winning it, with their last nine first-innings wickets falling for just 43 runs. A position of 166 for 1 relinquished would always be hard to make up. That they made Surrey bat again was a small, small victory.Even so, Thursday’s capitulation did mean the prospect of losing seven second-innings wickets before making up 43 runs felt very plausible. Three runs and 3.3 overs into the day, Kemar Roach got the first. The quick kill, perhaps even an innings victory, was on.A big one, too, in Max Holden. A patchy start to the summer punctuated by a half-century in the successful chase against Nottinghamshire looked like being joined by a second.Patience had got him to 42 overnight, but he could only add a single when Roach did what he does to left-handers: around the wicket, tempting a push, leaving them for dead. Surrey (and Roach) had gone to bed cursing Holden’s presence after Will Jacks dropped an easy catch at second slip when he had just 18.The second to fall was via a spectacular bit of work from Ben Foakes. Sean Abbott rasped one across John Simpson around the wicket, who helped the ball on its way down the leg side. Even before contact, Foakes was on his way, and a dive got him all the way across to pouch the ball with his right hand.Poetic, in a way, considering Simpson’s own exemplary keeping on day three had started with the wicket of Foakes while stood up to the stumps. Though it’ll probably take a bit of time before the Middlesex gloveman appreciates it as such.Out walked Pieter Malan, pushed down the order after suffering with some unspecified stiffness, accompanied by Mark Stoneman as his runner. His movements were clearly inhibited, though the trio of boundaries struck by Ryan Higgins to bring the scores level were simply the allrounder being his usually punchy self rather than shouldering extra burden.A lead of 10 was established before Gus Atkinson struck with his third legitimate delivery, getting Malan to push a little too far forward for a catch to Patel at backward point.Just eight deliveries later, Clark served up a passable Roach impression with a worldie from around the wicket that left Hollman driving at thin air – all but the edge – as Foakes leapt across first slept to take another smart catch.It should have in fact been three wickets in 11 deliveries, but Sibley palmed up a firm edge from Higgins, on 28, off Atkinson, and not even Foakes in this form could nab the rebound.Sibley would get the chance to make amends, albeit for Clark’s benefit, when Roland-Jones advanced and flinched at a delivery pulled back of a length for a bread-basket grab at first slip.With two wickets remaining and the lead only 27, Higgins decided now was the time to pick his team up over his shoulder and carry them once more. Middlesex’s leading runscorer possess the kind of attitude and skill to suggest you’d not go too badly with XI of him. Unspectacular yet effective, average height with above-average demeanour, particularly in this world of cruiserweight-boxer shaped allrounders.One of the latter – Clark – struck him on the arm, snarling at Higgins as he returned to the umpire to retrieve his cap. Having ascertained Higgins was not in great strife, Clark walked away satisfied he had inflicted pain. Out came the Middlesex physio to tend to his left wrist, which had worn a bouncer as he attempted to advance down the track for a second boundary of the over.The physio was back on again the next over, tending to Ethan Bamber’s top hand after the bowler failed to hook a well-directed bouncer from Atkinson. Bamber had better luck as Dan Worrall took over from Clark at the Pavilion End. A well-executed swish to deep square leg got him off the mark, even forcing Burns to move the fielder back to the fence.A second boundary came at the end of the over, gloved just beyond the reach of a diving Foakes. Another half-chance from Bamber came with the lead on 52, as Jamie Smith failed to reach a pop-up at short leg.By lunchtime, Bamber was looking steady on 20, walking off to the break after keeping out a yorker from Worrall. Higgins had grown to trust his junior partner, and even with the hosts managing five wickets in the session, a lead of 63 was a handy jumping-off point for a dart at some quick runs on a glorious Sunday afternoon.That’s certainly what Higgins was about. The eighth ball after lunch, he pulled Clark to the square leg fence – but Roach was lurking, moving to his right to take a catch a couple of feet in from the boundary. Out Tim Murtagh came and soon back he went, bowled by Abbott, though not before Bamber had struck another boundary.It would never be enough, and a run of consecutive victories now ends for Middlesex. At the very least, they leave this game having showcased some positives from the victories over Nottinghamshire and Kent, even if errors and the opposition’s superiority overhwelmed them.For Surrey, this third victory out of five – they remain unbeaten – lifted them back to the top of Division One after Warwickshire held the position for 24 hours. Surrey are home again next week for the visit of Kent, with a great opportunity to go into the international break well set to defend their crown.

West Indies batter smacks joint-fastest half-century on ODI debut to help whitewash UAE

Deivarayan Muthu10-Jun-2023Alick Athanaze has admitted to being nervous before making his international debut, but he shook it off quickly and went onto make it a memorable one by slamming the joint-fastest half-century on ODI debut. Athanaze’s 65 off 45 balls, including 51 which came in the powerplay alone, set the tone for West Indies’ successful chase of 185.”I was a bit nervous actually, but the nerves went away when I got my first runs and it was good,” Athanaze told CWI media after West Indies swept UAE 3-0 in Sharjah. “It was a really good experience [on debut]. [I] haven’t batted much in the night, so it was a first for me actually. But normally that’s how I play in the powerplay – I always look to get the team off to a good start.”Athanaze grew up idolising Brian Lara and more recently when he was with West Indies’ Test side in South Africa, he worked with Lara, who was on tour as the team’s performance mentor. Athanaze said that the conversations with Lara have had a positive influence on his batting approach.”For me, it has been really good,” Athanaze said. “Basically, what we spoke about was judging lengths and trying to get ahead of the bowler. It worked really nicely, and I got myself into some good positions and it was really good to bat out there tonight.”Athanaze put left-arm fingerspinner Aayan Afzal Khan out of the attack in the powerplay with a brace of sixes. Then when UAE’s seamers bowled into the Sharjah pitch, Athanaze countered them with a variety of pulls, including the short-arm jab.Related

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Athanaze was the top run-getter in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, ahead of Shubman Gill, but it has taken him five years to make the step-up to international cricket. Athanaze isn’t part of West Indies’ ODI squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup Qualifier but could get a run in the following home series against India. Spinner Kevin Sinclair, who had been part of the Under-19 and West Indies A set-ups with Athanaze, was impressed with Athanaze’s fearless strokeplay on debut.”For me, I’ve always known Alick since Under-19 [cricket],” Sinclair said. “He’s a good player and a good batsman. To watch himself express himself tonight at a higher level is something really good to see from the sidelines. I always knew he could bat and he did bring form from Bangladesh and he did very well.”Athanaze also spoke of how the new team management, under the leadership of Daren Sammy and Shai Hope, has encouraged the youngsters to play with confidence and freedom.”The team did really, really well,” Athanaze said. “One thing the captain stresses about is always improving and as you saw right throughout the series, we improved – not just on the batting but fielding as well and bowling. As a young player, it’s always good to be in a winning team and it gives you the confidence to go out and express yourself.”Kevin Sinclair brought out his signature celebration during his four-wicket haul•AFP/Getty Images

Sinclair dedicates Player-of-the-Match award to his grandfather

Friday’s match was a special one for Sinclair, too, who marked his international return with figures of 4 for 24. Carlos Brathwaite, who was on TV commentary, noted that Sinclair is now getting his offbreak to grip and turn more than he did in the past. This has in turn made his slider more effective and put him in West Indies or West Indies A contention across formats.”We were in a bit of a bother, so my thing was just to keep it simple and keep it as tight as possible,” Sinclair said. “Hence, getting a breakthrough as well, and that was really good for myself.”Sinclair credited former Guyana allrounder and coach Esuan Crandon for his recent progress. During the Headley-Weekes tri-series, Sinclair also benefitted from working with Nikita Miller.”As I mentioned I couple of weeks ago, Esuan Crandon,” Sinclair said. “The support he has given me and every time I step out [onto the field], I try and do what I can do with the bat, ball and in the field as well.”It’s all about consistency and I just want to take that moving forward and try to be consistent in what I do.”After winning the Player-of-the-Match award, Sinclair dedicated it to his grandfather Carlton, who was employed as a security guard. Carlton has doubled up as Sinclair’s mentor over the years.”Just want to mention that two days ago was my grandfather’s birthday,” Sinclair said. “It was his 75th birthday. He has been behind me since my tender age of seven, so I want to say this performance is for him.”

Bangladesh ODI captain makes surprise announcement a day after losing to Afghanistan in Chattogram

Mohammad Isam06-Jul-2023In a surprise development, Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh’s ODI captain, has retired from international cricket, barely three months before the World Cup, and bringing to a sudden end a glittering 16-year international career.Surrounded by a throng of reporters, Tamim was extremely emotional and in tears as he made the announcement at a press conference he arranged in Chattogram on Thursday. It came a day after Bangladesh lost to Afghanistan in the first of three ODIs.”This is the end for me,” he said. “I have given my best. I have tried my best. I am retiring from international cricket from this moment. Yesterday against Afghanistan was my last international game. It was not a sudden decision. I was thinking about the different reasons. I don’t want to mention here. I have spoken to my family members about it. I thought this is the right time for me to retire from international cricket.”I need to thank a few people, which they deserve. I have always said that I played cricket to fulfil my father’s dream. So I am not sure how much I have made him proud throughout these 16 years of my international career.”There are a lot of other people that I need to thank. My youngest (uncle), his name is Akbar Khan. I held his hands to go to my first cricket tournament. I thank him and his family. I thank Tapan , a coach in MA Aziz Stadium, who was my coach in my childhood. I thank all the players I played with from the U-13, U-15, U-17, U-19s, A team, Premier League, NCL and national team. Especially my national-team colleagues. The cricket board gave me the opportunity to represent the country for so long. I have captained Bangladesh too. I thank them as well.”I don’t have much to say. One thing I will definitely say is, I tried my best. I did try my best. Maybe I was not good enough or good enough. I don’t know. But I tried my 100% whenever I was in the field.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“There are a lot of other things I want to say, but as you can see I am almost unable to speak. But I hope you respect the situation. It is not an easy situation to speak. Quitting international cricket is not easy. I hope you understand. I am sorry to call you on such a short notice. I thank you all in the media.”I also want to thank the fans. Your love and faith in me inspired me to give my very best for Bangladesh. I want to ask for your prayers for the next chapter of my life. Please keep me in your prayers.”Whoever has helped me to grow as a cricketer and human being, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My mother, my brother, my wife and two children. They suffered a lot in my journey. They also had much to cherish. I thank them as well. I have nothing more to say.”Tamim chose not to go into the reasons behind his decision, asking only for focus to stay on the team.”It is the end. At least for international cricket. Let’s not poke too much about it. ‘Why, why, what is it, what else could have happened.’ I have always said that the team is bigger than any individual. Let’s focus on the team. Two more games to go in the series. I think we should win. There are two major trophies.”Tamim, 34, had retired from T20Is around the same time last year. His last Test was Bangladesh’s one-off match against Ireland in April.The BCB hasn’t named a successor for the ODI captaincy – it didn’t name a vice-captain ahead of the series – or responded to Tamim’s announcement. Litton Das was Bangladesh’s ODI captain against India in December last year when Tamim was injured. Shakib Al Hasan is the regular Test and T20I captain, and is the favourite to take over the role in ODIs now.Tamim began his international career as a teenager with his ODI debut in February 2007, and made a match-winning half-century in Bangladesh’s iconic win against India in the World Cup in the West Indies. He finishes with the most ODI runs (8313) and hundreds (14) for his country, and is the third-highest run-scorer among current cricketers, behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.As a Test batter, Tamim scored 5134 runs – the second highest for Bangladesh – at an average of 38.89, with ten centuries in 70 matches.As ODI captain, Tamim has a marginally higher win percentage than Mashrafe Mortaza, who is considered Bangladesh’s best leader. Tamim won 21 out of 37 ODIs as captain, and he led Bangladesh to a third-place finish in the ODI Super League, ensuring their direct qualification for the World Cup in India this October and November. He also captained Bangladesh in one Test match, against New Zealand in 2017.

Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin question London’s right to three Tests per summer

Matt Roller21-Jul-2023The mayors of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire have urged the ECB to reconsider its allocation of men’s Ashes Tests for 2027, which will see the north of England overlooked.Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said before the ongoing fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford that he was “devastated” that none of the five Tests would be staged north of the River Trent, with Lord’s, the Kia Oval, the Ageas Bowl, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge chosen as the host venues.Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester) and Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire) have now written an open letter to the ECB, describing the allocation of venues as “remarkable” and criticising the fact that London “consistently hosts three Tests every summer”.Related

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“We are writing to you to express our disappointment at the English Cricket Board’s announcement of match venues for the men’s Ashes in 2027,” the mayors wrote. “As you know, there will be no men’s Ashes Test in the north of England in 2027 – meaning that this week at Old Trafford will be the last men’s Ashes Test played in the North of England until 2031.”Headingley and Old Trafford are two of England’s most iconic cricket grounds, and home to historic Ashes moments from Ian Botham’s heroics in 1981 to Ben Stokes’ own ‘Miracle of Headingley’ in 2019. Very few grounds attract support as passionate or indeed as diverse as Headingley and Old Trafford – as a number of England players themselves have acknowledged in recent days.”We understand that the ECB’s criteria for awarding Test matches includes maximising attendances and ensuring a geographic spread of matches. It feels even more remarkable therefore that an area so passionate about cricket, with a population of over 15 million people, misses out on a men’s Ashes Test in 2027 whilst the south hosts three.”It does not feel right that at a time when cricket needs to do more to spread interest in the game around the country that London consistently hosts three Tests every summer. Next year, for example, Lord’s hosts one third of England men’s Tests whilst Headingley doesn’t get any.”The rivalry between Lancashire and Yorkshire within cricket is legendary, but this is an issue that unites both sides of the Pennines. We urge you to think again and ensure people in the north of England get the opportunity to witness more iconic Ashes moments in 2027.”Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, rings the bell at Emirates Old Trafford on the third morning•Stu Forster/Getty Images

Stokes said on the eve of the Old Trafford Test that England tend to perform well in the north due to the level of support they receive from crowds. “I’m a bit devastated that there won’t be any Ashes cricket here in 2027 in the north. It’s a shame,” he said. “I don’t make those calls, but if I was involved, I would have said, ‘please keep at least one game in the north’. I think it’s always a loud atmosphere here. You know the crowds we get in the north – and I say the north quite bluntly there – is very good. We get a lot of support.”Mark Wood and Jack Leach had previously expressed their own “surprise” and “disappointment” around the choice of venues, with Leach suggesting that by playing primarily in the south, England were not making the most of their home advantage.Headingley is due to host a women’s Ashes Test in 2027, and both Headingley and Old Trafford are due to stage men’s Ashes Tests in 2031.Andy Anson, Lancashire’s chair, said that the club were “entirely comfortable” with the ECB’s process of awarding matches, as well as the opportunity host more women’s internationals in coming years.”We are entirely comfortable with the process that the club went through with the ECB regarding the major match allocation package for future men’s and women’s internationals between 2025-31,” Anson said. “The announced package provides the club with seven years of certainty for international match scheduling which will see 40 days of international cricket played at the venue. The package is the result of in-depth discussions between the counties and the ECB and has been a thorough and fair process.”As well as the men’s Ashes Test in 2031, we will also be welcoming India for four matches in five years, in addition to hosting international women’s cricket at Emirates Old Trafford for the first time in many years – which we all look forward to. We are grateful to the ECB and our fellow counties for the level of cooperation and communication in arriving at this schedule.”