All posts by h716a5.icu

Litton comes out of his shell and shows the way for Bangladesh

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The side has struggled in the powerplay this year, but Litton stepped up in Adelaide and gave India a scare

Mohammad Isam02-Nov-20221:36

Moody: Litton aside, Bangladesh went about their power-hitting the wrong way

Everyone is talking about Litton Das’ run-out. It was a defining moment in the game, as Bangladesh not only lost their best batter, but also the momentum. They ended up six runs short of their DLS-adjusted target of 151 in 16 overs. India are now best placed to make the semi-finals, while Bangladesh are on the brink of being knocked out.Litton’s 60 off 27 balls, however, had knocked the wind out of India’s sails in the first seven overs and left them nervous even when the rain came down. It was that sort of an innings – full of beautiful strokes – as Litton got out of his shell for the first time in this T20 World Cup.More than anything else, it was a knock that Bangladesh have been waiting for a long time. The confidence in the top order was so low that the team was clutching at straws. Questions about the opening pair often drew frustrated responses from the team management. Everyone knew about the struggles, but there was also a sense that someone just to play such an innings. You can’t go through two World Cups in two years without a good knock from one of the main batters.Related

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Litton’s 21-ball fifty is the second fastest by a Bangladesh batter. His strike rate of 222.22 is the second highest among Bangladesh players with a 60-plus score in T20Is. Litton also became the second Bangladeshi to get to his fifty within the powerplay. His strike rate was also the second highest among batters who have faced a minimum of 25 balls in a T20 World Cup innings – slotting in behind AB de Villiers.Litton had cracked three fours off Arshdeep Singh’s first over, threading the gaps at point, mid-on and cover respectively. He deposited Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six over deep square-leg, before driving him down the ground and dabbing him through slip and short third-man, in the next over. Another six off Bhuvneshwar was followed by a duel against Mohammed Shami. He slammed two pulls off him that went for a four and a six, racing to his half-century, before crashing him through extra-cover. In all, Litton hit seven fours and three sixes in the powerplay.Litton has given Bangladesh such rapid starts in T20Is in the past, most notably in 2018, when it looked like he was finally coming out of his shell in the shortest format. It has taken him a while but he has, at long last, played a significant knock at the T20 World Cup.Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said that Litton’s confidence from Tests and ODIs has finally transferred to his T20I batting and that they never doubted his ability.Litton Das raced to a 21-ball half-century•Getty Images”He has been scoring runs in Tests and ODIs for the last two-three years,” Shakib said. “He is doing well in T20Is this year. The confidence is back in his T20 batting. He knows how to score the runs. He had a big opportunity, and he played to his capability. We rate him quite highly. He didn’t play anything out of the box. We know this is how he plays.”It is expected that Litton’s knock will not only open him up further for Bangladesh’s last group-stage game against Pakistan in Adelaide next week, but also give the top order some muscle. The top order hasn’t provided the team with a good start lately.Top-order batters are expected to attack more often in T20Is, but Bangladesh have struggled so much in the powerplay that their run-rate (7.23) during this phase is among the bottom half among teams who have played at least 15 innings this year. This is partly because of the lack of stability – Bangladesh have used as many as 10 different opening pairs in 20 matches this year.Litton was slotted at No. 3 as a back-up for the openers, though he is an accomplished opener himself. Litton was tried seven times at the top with four different partners, but that didn’t work for Bangladesh. The team management then tried to protect Litton by pushing him down to No.3, but that didn’t work for him.Litton is now the top scorer for Bangladesh in all three formats this year. He was scoring runs regularly in the middle order in the Test side, and his opening stand with Tamim Iqbal in ODIs is one of that side’s strengths.Litton was also a heavy scorer last year, but found it hard to score in the T20Is at home, where the series against Australia and New Zealand were played on raging turners. Litton’s struggles seeped into the 2021 T20 World Cup as well in the UAE, resulting in the selectors dropping him for the following series against Pakistan.Now that drop looks like it happened ages go. Litton’s team-mates have never doubted him, not since his underwhelming debut season in 2015. Now, they will draw a lot of confidence from him in one of their worst years as a batting side.

Mary Waldron always wanted to play a World Cup, but she didn't think it would be in cricket

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Ireland keeper and umpire talks about how she came to cricket after nearly making it in football

S Sudarshanan11-Feb-2023Cricket was nowhere on Mary Waldron’s radar.”My only recollection of it growing up was watching my dad watching a cricket match on Channel 4 during my school holidays,” she chuckles. “And I was mad because I was like, ‘What is this on TV? This is ridiculous!'”About 25 years on, Waldron has played not just as a wicketkeeper for Ireland Women, she has also represented Ireland in football. She also tried her hand at basketball and hockey in school.She was among the first players to benefit from Cricket Ireland’s part-time contracts for women in 2019 and also among the 20 first fully professional women cricketers for Ireland, when the board invested £1.5 million in the game last year. She has also been on the ICC’s International Panel of Development Umpires for over three years.Related

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Waldron is now in South Africa for the T20 World Cup – her fourth, after Ireland narrowly missed out in 2020 – and at 38 is the oldest player in the competition. Her enthusiasm belies her age, though. She believes this is the best time to be playing cricket for Ireland.”We have been crying out for more support over the years and it’s finally here,” she says. “The bus is nearly full with all the support staff. To be part of that journey and to see it come to fruition and see all the other players just at the start of their journey. It’s actually really exciting.”Gutted not to play in the last World Cup, purely because you get to play against the best in the world on such a cool occasion.”Because even a couple years ago, we’d be like, ‘What’s the fixture list for the year? We might be going on one tour’ – or you just never really knew. But now we have a Future Tours Programme. We know what we’re doing. And it’s very exciting.”Growing up in hill country south of Dublin, Waldron only got into organised sport at 12, in secondary school, when she joined a football club. She was picked for the Ireland Under-16s when she was 13. She also played basketball, volleyball, and a bit of hockey at school but football was her focus. Transport was limited in the mountains, so her parents – whom she calls “very good sports parents” – drove her around. There was only one occasion, she recalls, when her father said no to her on a matter to do with sport.Waldron prudently wears protective gear standing up to the stumps in a 2022 T20I. “In hindsight now, looking at some of the fielding I did – like standing far too close to the batter and that sort of stupid stuff – I didn’t know what I was doing!” she says•Ramsey Cards/Sportsfile/Getty Images”I asked my dad if I could join a basketball club as well and he said no,” she says. “And that was just purely because there was not enough hours in the day. I was already going to hockey training at that stage, going to soccer, going into school games and stuff. It was just not logistically possible.”Her first brush with cricket came when she was at University College, Dublin. By then she had represented Ireland in football and had played all the age groups in the sport. One of her friends was “obsessed with cricket” and asked her to come watch her play. Waldron went along and liked what she saw, and ended up joining Pembroke Cricket Club in Sandymount, which her cricket-mad friend played for. While football was important to her – she was training hard and playing at a high level – playing cricket allowed her to socialise and network outside of her primary sport, which she liked.Once, when Pembroke’s wicketkeeper was unavailable, they picked Waldron to keep because of her ability to be unflinching. “I wasn’t scared of the ball, and actually in hindsight now, looking at some of the fielding I did – like standing far too close to the batter and that sort of stupid stuff – I didn’t know what I was doing!” she says. “I kept for a few games even though football was still priority.”The following pre-season I was keeping in a game and the Ireland A coach saw me and said I should come to training the following Friday. So it was very random, very organic, how that came about, but I just loved it from there.”She made her ODI debut in July 2010 and played her first T20I three months later. Her rise was too rapid for it all to sink in – in her mind, football, which she played for Raheny United and Shelbourne FC, who played the Premier Division in the Irish league, was still her real game.Waldron stands in a game in the men’s T20 World Cup Europe Region Qualifiers in 2019•Martin Gray/ICC”It was all a bit of a whirlwind. And I don’t think I thought too much about it at the time. And looking back, it was kind of mad. I remember playing in the European championships in cricket, and we’re in Holland, and I remember saying that I can’t stay because I had to go back – this was after about a year after my debut – because we had a training camp for the soccer team. It did take me a few years to transition my mindset that cricket was actually more important.”With Ireland rising as a cricketing team, it was increasingly tough for Waldron to juggle her two sports. Ireland qualified for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2014 and with cricket activities – gym, conditioning, skills work – taking up the better part of the week, she had to let go of football.”I just knew that I wouldn’t be able to commit to the soccer training,” Waldron says. “Playing in a World Cup has always been a goal, though I never wrote it down as a goal. I knew that I’d always love to play in a World Cup, and I assumed that would have been with soccer. But it just turned out that it was in cricket.”An invitation from 1990s Australia wicketkeeper Julia Price, who coached Tasmania and wanted to expand the club structure there, took Waldron to Hobart in 2015. While playing and training in Australia, she completed the Level 1 umpiring course. Back home she was a cricket development officer in a club in Malahide, where she coached the Under-15 boys’ side and also scored for and umpired in those games.That kicked off a period where, unless Ireland had a winter tour, she would travel to Australia to play and umpire. Ahead of the qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup in 2017, she moved from Hobart to Adelaide to be able to play more 50-over matches. There she took more umpiring courses and got more games under her belt as an umpire.Waldron (right) with Eloise Sheridan. The two became the first women to umpire in a men’s first-grade game in Australia in 2019•Ramsey CardsIn 2018, Waldron was appointed to the first-class panel of Umpires in Ireland and became the first woman to umpire in a men’s List A match, between Ireland Wolves and Bangladesh A. She and Eloise Sheridan of Australia became the first pair of women to umpire in a men’s first grade game in Australia in 2019. That year she stood as one of the umpires in the men’s T20 World Cup Europe Region Qualifiers. She also has officiated in the men’s and women’s Big Bash League and in the Women’s National Cricket League in Australia.When the pandemic struck in 2020, cricket in Ireland was thrown into uncertainty. They had missed out on making it to the Women’s T20 World Cup and the next tournament was at least two years away. The 50-overs World Cup, originally to be played in 2021, was postponed.Waldron was clear – cricket was her priority and umpiring had to wait. “The potential progression for Irish women’s cricket at that stage was still huge, so even though I love umpiring, I wasn’t ready to finish playing,” she says. “There was a lot of unfinished business. Many people told me that I should retire and umpire.”I enjoyed the opportunity to train even when it was a two-day-week contract. To be fair, Cricket Ireland still gave me the opportunity to go away whenever we didn’t have a winter tour. Between time at home and being able to travel in the winter, it still was a great lifestyle. I wasn’t planning on giving that up anytime soon.”I have to be based in Ireland now for full-time contracts. But that’s not hard. Having the opportunity to play full-time and train full-time is brilliant. I wasn’t able to go to Australia for the winter but I’ll be playing [the T20 World Cup]. I don’t mind missing out on a few umpiring opportunities because I’m sure there will be chances down the line. And even if they are not, I still wouldn’t miss a chance to play in the World Cup for anything.”

Saha's intent burns brightest on openers' day out

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Gill, de Kock and Mayers made sizeable scores too, but the Titans wicketkeeper-batter made the biggest impact

Karthik Krishnaswamy07-May-20233:00

‘Wriddhiman Saha plays in the shadows of rest of the team’ – Tom Moody

When you talk about Wriddhiman Saha, there’s always the danger that you’ll end up talking about who and what he isn’t. He spent most of his 20s not being MS Dhoni, and much of his 30s not being Rishabh Pant. And in the way he bats in T20s, all intent and no fear of losing his wicket, you could build the case that Saha isn’t Virat Kohli or KL Rahul or most other Indian openers.With all this it can become difficult to zero in on who and what Saha is.On Sunday, the four openers who featured in Gujarat Titans’ clash with Lucknow Super Giants in Ahmedabad scored a total of 293 runs, an IPL record. Shubman Gill, Quinton de Kock and Kyle Mayers made significant contributions too, but Saha perhaps played the innings of the match – ESPNcricinfo’s Impact ratings certainly thought so – and in doing so reminded the world of his considerable gifts of feet, eye and hands.There was a moment, for instance, when Saha charged Avesh Khan, and the bowler saw him coming and went short at his body. Saha read the length in a flash and swivelled on his back foot to swat the ball to the backward square leg boundary.There was another pull soon after, off Mohsin Khan, and this time Saha had to fetch the ball from well outside off stump and work against the left-armer’s angle. He hit this even better, clearing the boundary in front of square.A short ball designed to cramp him for room, another designed to make him reach for the ball and potentially lose his shape, and Saha had put them both away, clinically.It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that Saha sits among the top five run-getters from the pull and hook off fast bowlers since IPL 2022. He doesn’t score as quickly as the other four in that list, but it might interest you to know that his strike rate while pulling and hooking is marginally better than that of his opening partner Gill (187.03), a batter who looks like he was born to pull fast bowlers.When Saha bats, he looks like, well, what he is: a wicketkeeper-batter of the old school. Most wicketkeepers look like top-order batters now, but this wasn’t always the case, and in Saha there is an echo of the quirkiness of Alan Knott or Ian Healy, who often made tough runs against high-quality bowling but never looked anything other than wicketkeeperly while doing so.Gill is all smiles as his opening partner celebrates his fifty•Associated PressEven the prettiest of Saha’s shots on Sunday had this flavour: he caressed Mohsin for an effortless four between mid-off and extra-cover in the first over of Titans’ innings, but he didn’t hold his pose like Gill might’ve. Instead, his feet began an involuntary scamper to the other end before he realised there was no need to run.Unless his team is chasing a small target, Saha’s batting in the IPL is driven by the need to maximise the powerplay field restrictions, and score as quickly as he possibly can in this phase, by any means necessary. And this means he’ll often look in less control than the batter at the other end – particularly if it happens to be Gill – with a decent chunk of his runs coming off balls sliced over the infield or dragged into the leg side off the inside half of the bat.He bats this way not because he’s selfless, but because he’s pragmatic; he knows it’s the only way he can stay relevant in the IPL.On days like Sunday, however, there’s a lovely fluency to his ball-striking. The new ball was coming onto the bat beautifully, and a Super Giants attack short on both experience and rhythm – Mohsin, returning after shoulder surgery, was playing his second game and bowling in one for the first time since IPL 2022 – was serving up hittable balls at regular intervals.Where other batters may have dialled down the risk-taking on such a day, reckoning that they were scoring quickly enough without needing to do anything outlandish, Saha kept playing like Saha. He kept charging the fast bowlers; he went over the infield even when the ball wasn’t pitched right up; he walked across his stumps to manufacture a boundary to long leg even when he’d hit a six earlier in the over.Saha hit ten fours and four sixes•BCCIEven his dismissal on 81 came from this sort of intent; he stepped out to Avesh in the 12th over and looked to whip him over the leg side. He might have picked up a boundary if he’d hit it a few meters further to deep square leg’s left, but on this day he hit it within the fielder’s range.Saha was taking this sort of risk almost every time he went after the bowling. He could have been out for 15 or 20 on another day, and other innings he plays often end on scores like that. But Titans would want it no other way from him. They have plenty of batting depth, and every ball Saha doesn’t try to squeeze the most out of is a ball Hardik Pandya or David Miller isn’t getting to face.On this day, Saha’s intent brought him 81 off 43, and went a long way towards Titans all but batting Super Giants out of the game. Had Super Giants been chasing 200 rather than 228, the 88-run opening stand between Mayers and de Kock may have put them in a winning position. As it happened, they were still behind the required rate when the partnership ended, and the rest of their batting struggled to keep up.By then Saha was putting his feet up, letting KS Bharat do the dirty work behind the stumps. There was a sense of poignancy to this substitution – India’s team management phased Saha out of their Test-match plans last year to let Bharat grow into the role of Pant’s understudy.Thanks to events that no one could have foreseen, Pant is out of action for the foreseeable future, and Bharat is the only keeper in India’s squad for the World Test Championship final. There are plenty who believe Saha still deserves that spot – he may believe it himself, but he knows it isn’t in his control.All he can do is control the controllables within the role he’s given by the team that’s picked him, and he’s doing a pretty good job of it.

The Magnificent Steven – Smith's Test career, in numbers

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

No batter has averaged as much going into his 100th Test, while his unbelievable six-year peak and his stats against the best bowlers make him one of the greatest

S Rajesh (with inputs from Shiva Jayaraman)05-Jul-2023When Steven Smith was dismissed for 34 in Australia’s second innings at Lord’s, it meant that he would miss out on being the first batter to go into his 100th Test with a 60-plus average – he fell short of that mark by 67 runs.That was an opportunity missed for Smith, but the mere fact that he got closer to this feat than any batter in Test history speaks of the staggering numbers he has racked up. Smith will enter his 100th Test with an average of 59.56; before him, the highest any batter had achieved going into the landmark game was 58.16, by Rahul Dravid. Dravid eventually finished with a career average of 52.31, which was still wonderful, but in his last 64 Tests, his average dropped by almost six runs.Can Smith maintain these exceptional standards all the way till the end of his career?ESPNcricinfo LtdThe dizzying highs
All top-class batters have periods in their career when they strike extraordinary form. With Smith, what stands out is how high that peak has been, how long he has maintained it, and the different conditions he has conquered during this period.Through a six-year period from 2014 to 2019, he averaged 72 from 56 matches, scoring 24 centuries, which works out to a hundred every 2.3 matches. Not bad for a player who started off as a legspinner, batted at Nos. 8 and 9 on debut, and bowled more overs (21) than he scored runs (13) in that Test. Since 2020, the numbers have dropped a bit, but he still averages very nearly 50 in those 27 Tests.

In that period between 2014 and 2019, Smith’s average of 72.02 was clearly above everyone else’s – the next-best was Kane Williamson’s 61.95. In fact, among the 20 batters who scored at least 3000 runs in this period, only five averaged more than 50; the other three were Virat Kohli, David Warner and Joe Root, with the last two barely topping 50.During that six-year period, he averaged 83.34 from 26 home Tests, and 64.25 from 30 away games, scoring 12 hundreds each home and away. In the 18 series of two or more Tests he played in this period, seven times he averaged over 100, while only on four instances did it dip below 40.

Rarely have batters sustained their highs like Smith has done. That six-year dominance included a 50-Test period – between February 12, 2014 and September 4, 2019 – when Smith averaged 76.02, with a mindboggling 23 hundreds. There has only been one instance of a batter averaging more in 50 consecutive Tests: Don Bradman, who averaged 104.13 from his second to his penultimate match. (He scored 18 and 1 on debut, and 0 in his last Test.)ESPNcricinfo LtdRicky Ponting and Garry Sobers came close, averaging over 74, Jacques Kallis touched 72, while Shivnarine Chanderpaul (69.33), Kumar Sangakkara (68.49) and Dravid (68.11) all finished in the late 60s. Also, Smith’s aggregate of 5781 runs is second only to Bradman’s 6977 among all batters in any 50-Test period.Smith’s average has slipped marginally below 60 from the high of 64.81 in September 2019, but the streak of consecutive matches with an average of over 55 is still going strong. That streak started from his 38th Test – the Boxing Day game of 2015 – which means it is already 62 matches old. Only two batters have a longer streak of successive Tests with a 55-plus average: Sobers, 74 Tests from his 20th match onwards (November 1958 till he retired in 1974), and Sachin Tendulkar, 65 Tests from his 69th to his 133rd (October 1999 to December 2006). The Tendulkar streak will be equalled by the end of the ongoing Ashes series, while Sobers’ record is well within reach too. (All of these are averages at the end of a Test, not an innings within the Test.)ESPNcricinfo LtdSmith’s streak of consecutive Tests averaging over 60 ended at 25, which is well short of the record of 54, by Herbert Sutcliffe. However, ignoring the streak of successive matches, Smith has already ended 43 Tests with an average of 60 or more, which is third in the all-time list. Only Sutcliffe, who averaged over 60 throughout his 54-Test career, and Bradman (49) rank ahead of him.During Smith’s golden run, he scored over 1000 runs at a 70-plus average in four successive years from 2014 to 2017, a feat no batter has ever achieved. Kallis had five years of 1000 or more runs at a 70-plus average, but only two of those were in succession. Smith fell only 35 short of a fifth such year in 2019, scoring 965 runs at 74.23.

Conquering all conditions
A feature of Smith’s career so far has been his ability score runs in all conditions, from the seam and swing of England, New Zealand and South Africa, to the spin of the subcontinent. He averages more than 40 in all countries where he has played at least five innings, with the lowest being 41.1 from 11 innings in South Africa. He has played only four innings in Bangladesh for an average of 29.75, but in India, he has three hundreds from 19 innings and an average of 50.31, while his overall average in Asia is 47.83 from 40 innings.

Among batters who have played at least 40 Tests overseas (including matches in neutral venues) only two – Wally Hammond and Allan Border – have a higher average than Smith’s 55.60. Among his contemporaries, he is well clear of Root (47.11), Williamson (45.91), Kohli (41.28) and Warner (32.97) on this parameter (as he is on most others).Not only has Smith scored runs in all conditions, he also has a terrific record in general against the best bowlers in their home conditions.Since the start of 2014, he has scored 106 runs off James Anderson in England without being dismissed, while against Stuart Broad he averages 49.16. (He has also scored 160 runs off Jofra Archer and Mark Wood without being dismissed.) Similarly, against Trent Boult and Tim Southee in New Zealand, he has scored 115 runs without being dismissed, and against Vernon Philander in South Africa his record is 91 runs for no dismissal. Against R Ashwin in India he averages 38.5. The two bowlers he has struggled against are left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja (six dismissals at 28.83 in India) and Rangana Herath in Sri Lanka (five dismissals at 15.8 in Sri Lanka).

The table above consists of some select batters and their overall numbers, since January 2014, against top bowlers in their home conditions. The bowlers included in this list are the 24 names who have taken 50 or more wickets at home at an average of under 26 during this period. It excludes matches played at neutral venues (so matches played in the UAE are not included, and neither are the WTC finals).Among the 68 batters who have scored at least 300 runs against these bowlers in their home conditions, Smith’s numbers stand out again: he averages 51.53 against them, more than six runs clear of Root, who is next-best at 45.03. Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja are impressive too, while Kohli, Babar Azam, Rohit Sharma and Williamson all average in the early to mid-30s.First-innings superstarESPNcricinfo LtdAll great batters have the ability to stamp their authority early on in a game, but Smith takes it to a ridiculous extreme: in the first innings of a Test, he averages a phenomenal 87.24, with 22 centuries in 60 innings. In fact, more than half his career runs – 4624 out of 9113 – have been scored in the first innings of a Test. With a 2500-run cut-off, the next best is Brian Lara’s 70.17, which means Smith is about 24% better than the second best on this parameter, which is quite staggering given the quality of batters on this list. Smith’s 22 first-innings hundreds is already the most by any batter. Ponting is next on 21 (92 innings), followed by Kallis and Tendulkar on 20 each, from 80 and 91 innings respectively.Australia have lost the toss and been put in to bat 15 times in Smith’s career, and in those 15 innings, Smith averages 85.76 with seven hundreds, including two in his most recent such instances last month – 121 against India in the World Test Championship final, and 110 last week at Lord’s. Three of those 15 innings came in 2010, before Smith became the batting legend he has. In those three innings, his scores were 1, 7, 6; exclude them, and his record in first innings when put in to bat becomes even more scary – 1101 runs from 12 innings, at an average of 110.1. Now that’s truly Bradmanesque.

Moeen Ali, England's silent warrior, gloriously walks into sunset once more

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

His contributions to both the feel and the narrative of Ashes feels typical of his Test career: entertaining, endearing and inconsistent

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Aug-2023Ben Stokes is hidden away at the back of the home dressing room at Headingley, puffing on a cigarette. He had entered moments earlier after being caught down the leg side off Mitchell Starc. England needed 90 more runs to win the third Test and keep their Ashes hopes alive, but their talisman in these pressure situations was out.Stokes was furious but focused on adhering to a post-dismissal routine he had refined as captain. The ethos he and head coach Brendon McCullum have cultivated relies on dressing room calm, something the Durham allrounder cedes is not his strong point after getting out. But he has developed coping mechanisms, starting with a smoke, then a systematic packing of both his cricket bags. Once that was done, he made his way to the outdoor viewing area and sat himself down next to Moeen Ali.In the tense periods, Moeen and Stokes chatted nonsense. At one point, when the partnership between Harry Brook and Chris Woakes was swelling, Moeen commented about how easily they were winning this. Stokes, speaking from experience, reminded him “there is always a twist”, which duly came when Brook was dismissed. Moeen congratulated his skipper on the call, before Woakes and Mark Wood eventually saw things home.Related

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Stokes regarded the spot next to Moeen as his best way of keeping the tension to a minimum. It is largely in keeping with the 36-year-old’s presence in the set-up outright, which has been seen as a success behind closed doors.Both Stokes and McCullum made moves to get him out of retirement last summer, specifically for the Pakistan series later that winter, believing his attacking verve with bat and ball fit the set-up perfectly. They also believed his laidback demeanour, allied with his reading of the game, would boost an already positive group.It was only when Jack Leach was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the back on the eve of the series that Stokes made a second approach. Having worked on Moeen’s appetite for a return this summer during their IPL stint together for Chennai Super Kings, he dropped him a text to ask if he was up for it – “Ashes?”. He was.Seven weeks on, Moeen walks into the sunset once more. His contributions to both the feel and the narrative of an engaging series typical of his Test career. Entertaining, endearing, inconsistent and, at times, infuriating.A wound to his spinning finger reopened because it had been a while since he had bowled with a Dukes ball, and then a fan sent him a jar of medical honey which accelerated its healing. When Ollie Pope was ruled out with a shoulder injury, Moeen approached Stokes and McCullum on the penultimate evening of the third Test and asked to bat three in the fourth innings. He wanted to put his mark on the series and protect Brook, who moved back to five, and produced a vital 75 in pursuit of the target of 251.Moeen Ali added 121 for the second wicket with Zak Crawley at Old Trafford•Getty ImagesHalf-century number 15 in Manchester – only his second at No.3 – came during a thrilling stand of 121 with centurion Zak Crawley. Moeen was ranking their shots while out in the middle, giving himself the “shot of the day” tag for a glorious cover drive off Pat Cummins. Having hurt his abductor while batting in the first innings at the Oval, he decided to tee off as he could not run, and carted Cummins into the stands over square leg. He then closed it all out with 3 for 76 on the last day of his 68th and final Test to help England to a series-squaring victory.There are the other bits that don’t really matter but are worth a mention. The constant arguments with Crawley greatly amused the rest of the team. One of them being which part of the country was best at Twenty20 cricket. Crawley ultimately won that one when all four T20 Blast Finals Day teams came from the south group. He is also revered as the slickest bucket hat wearer going, rocking it with the brim turned up, like a turquoise trilby. A few players tried to copy him but couldn’t quite nail the look.This series has been as much about Moeen the vibesman as Moeen the allrounder. At the end of the match, Stokes stated he wanted Moeen “because I know what he can do on his best days”. The last day of the Ashes was exactly that.As for the others, well it’s a hard one to square. His nine dismissals were big ones – Travis Head (three times), Marnus Labuschagne (twice), Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith who he might have had twice had Stokes not botched a catch at leg sip on that final day. But the average of 51.44 reflects the lack of control, likewise the 180 runs at an average of 25.17. At the same time, he brought balance by covering for the loss of spinner and number three. A selfless, up-and-down career ends with a quietly impressive 3,094 runs and 204 wickets.When Stokes sent that message in June, Moeen immediately replied “lol”. And while lols were had, Moeen reflected he was not wholly pleased with how things went, but satisfied this Ashes and his career climaxed with a thrilling finale. Ultimately, he was grateful to himself for accepting the SOS call. He would have regretted it later in life had he not.At the end of the match, Stuart Broad insisted Moeen shared the ovation of their final Test. Broad had alerted the world a couple of nights before that this would be it. With Moeen, it felt like we knew all along.Moeen Ali is regarded among the group as the slickest bucket hat wearer going•Getty Images”I was a little bit embarrassed to be walking off with a great,” he said of leading the team off with Broad. “It proves the man he is. I didn’t want to do it and he said I had to.”I was really reluctant, but it was great. You have mates and build relationships and Broady is one of those guys. From the start, he was always amazing with me. I’ve always got on well with him and really pleased he’s finished the way he has.”With the deserved fanfare around Broad and the perfect ending for one of England’s greatest fast bowlers, you wonder whether Moeen got any closure from this last dance. Or whether he even needed it beyond a more pleasing conclusion after slinking away two years ago with little cause or opportunity for celebration.”When I played a few nice shots I thought, ‘I can still bat’,” he said. “I would have loved to get some more, but it was a great challenge. White ball is great, I love the [franchise] leagues. But there is nothing better than playing against the best attack with a new ball in their hand. It’s a challenge. It’s nice to finish knowing that [I can still bat], it was decent.”The bowling was always a fight,” he admitted. However, the challenge of a final day in the field appealed to him even while crocked, particularly at the ground where he spun England to victory against South Africa with a hat-trick. As it happens, his fourth innings strike rate of 40.2 is better than those of Shane Warne or Graeme Swann.”Maybe it’s because I’m a spinner [that fourth innings appeal to him] but I’ve never felt like a proper spinner like those guys. I don’t overthink bowling on the last day. It’s ragging so I’ll try to get it spinning as much as I can, through the gate, try to nick the lefties off.”The encouragement I got from Baz and Stokesy to go and bowl my best ball, through the gate and things like that. I think that brings the best out of me. My bowling has always been up and down, but one thing I do know is that I’ve always loved bowling in the fourth innings.”

“White ball is great, I love the [franchise] leagues. But there is nothing better than playing against the best attack with a new ball in their hand”Mooen Ali

If anything, it seems this Ashes was a combination of things Moeen got to enjoy one last time. Challenging himself against an accomplished pace attack, sending down a few magical deliveries, and ribbing his team-mates. Fitting given how English cricket has experienced Moeen since debuting in 2014.His inconsistency is part of the thrill. Even in a barrage, he could hook one for six, or when the game is at its most tense, produce a surface-busting off break. Moments of joy and relief out of nowhere, making the top edges when things have calmed down and full tosses a little more palatable. Perhaps not for some, but as all corners of the Kia Oval rose to a rendition of “Stand up if you love Moeen” prior to his penultimate over in Test cricket, it is clear he occupies a unique place in the hearts of most.When he retired at the end of the 2021 summer, his father Munir, was dismayed his son finished tantalisingly short of milestones, on 2,914 runs and 195 dismissals. He was as ecstatic as anyone when Moeen decided to return.”As soon as I got that milestone, my dad checked out,” laughed Moeen. “He wants me to do well, but he checked out – he was just buzzing. That was the one thing in his head more than anything. Things happen for a reason, and it was meant to be.”Gratification in the joy he brings others. Selfless to the cause of the team. Two traits synonymous with Moeen which he underlined over the last seven weeks.The career averages probably mean history will not be kind to quantifying what Moeen Ali truly was as a Test cricketer. But at least England fans and his team-mates could experience him one last time.

Taijul vs Williamson takes centrestage in Shakib's absence

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Williamson scored his fourth hundred in as many Tests but Taijul’s guile and perseverance kept the contest on an even keel

Mohammad Isam29-Nov-2023The first New Zealander to score centuries in four consecutive Tests. Level with Sir Don Bradman and Virat Kohli with 29 centuries. Kane Williamson is a modern-day giant, and arguably the greatest batter from his country. Into his thirteenth year in international cricket, Williamson continues to be his side’s batting linchpin, and it is often his battle with the opposition’s best bowler that decides the contest.On Wednesday, Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan, got through his first day on the campaign trail in his hometown Magura. Shakib is contesting parliamentary elections, which are set to be held on January 7.Related

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Kane Williamson, Taijul Islam star on evenly-matched second day in Sylhet

Shakib is nursing a finger injury that has put him out of contention for the Test series, and so, in Sylhet, Taijul Islam is Bangladesh’s best bowler: on paper and in the field too. He certainly bowled like the top dog on day two, which he lit up with his 12th four-wicket haul in Test cricket.Taijul has, for years, played second fiddle to Shakib. Quite naturally. But whenever Shakib has been absent or unable to bowl, which has happened quite a lot in Tests, Taijul has been both Bangladesh’s workhorse and their biggest wicket-taking threat. New Zealand discovered the potency of Taijul and his spin colleagues on Wednesday, which they ended 44 runs behind Bangladesh’s first-innings total, with two wickets in hand.Williamson’s main contest was with Taijul. He scored 38 runs off the 91 balls he faced from the left-arm spinner. After Taijul conceded a four through midwicket off a full-toss, he tightened up his lines and lengths considerably. At times it was a slow grind with Williamson hitting a couple of classical off-drives and a square-cut. Nayeem Hasan also posed some difficulty for Williamson, and just when it looked like the New Zealand great was going to get his side close to the Bangladesh total, Taijul came up with the ball of the day.It was the fifth ball after Bangladesh had taken the second new ball. Taijul tossed it up, drawing Williamson onto the forward press. The trajectory, however, undid Williamson, who was beaten for line, the ball drifting in and continuing along that path after pitching, sneaking between his bat and pad. Williamson looked back in surprise as the ball dislodged his off bail. He had seemed to have it covered, but Taijul had found that tiny gap. He had been trying to get Williamson to come forward all day and leave that space for him, or at least beat his inside edge and hit his front pad, below the flap. It had finally worked, bringing a wide smile to Taijul’s face.Williamson later said New Zealand had faced tough questions from the Bangladesh spinners. “They are very familiar with these conditions. They are very accurate. They all ask different questions,” he said. “They were all outstanding today. They asked us a lot of questions. They taught a lot of lessons as well to play in this part of this world.”Kane Williamson was patient and sure-footed against Bangladesh’s spinners•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh’s spin bowling coach Rangana Herath reiterated that Taijul has grown into a bowling leader in Shakib’s absence. “Taijul is always helping the attack. He is our leading spinner,” Herath said. “He created a lot of pressure [on New Zealand]. He created a lot of angles.”He has great experience, knowledge and understanding. I am so happy that he took four wickets today. Taijul plays a big role for us regardless of Shakib playing or not. He plays both attacking and defensive role. He is always relying on his line and length.”Williamson’s century was an important contribution, and he felt his partnerships with Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Philips were crucial to New Zealand’s reply to Bangladesh’s 310 all out.”It is humbling [to get the consecutive centuries record for New Zealand] but at the same time the focus is about the team,” he said. “Trying to get it to the best possible position, and be a part of as many partnerships. That’s the goal. It was the pleasing thing today, but it would have been to still be out there.”Williamson’s wicket late in the day evened up the contest, perhaps turning it slightly in favour of the home side. That’s only if they can take the two remaining New Zealand wickets quickly on the third morning, of course.”It was a tough day,” Williamson said. “I thought the batters really tried to apply themselves. Put together some good partnerships. We have a couple of wickets left. It will be nice to get a few more, and then we will have our chance to bowl. The surface is showing signs of deteriorating quite a lot. It looks like a bit of a scrap in the next few days.”

Switch Hit: Baz-fail

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

After England’s defeat in Ranchi sealed a series win for India, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to assess what it all means for Bazball

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2024A memorable turnaround in Ranchi brought India victory and an unassailable lead in the series, leaving England to rue another one that got away. In this week’s episode of Switch, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to reflect on where it went wrong for Ben Stokes’ tourists. Was it a failure of Bazball, or a failure Bazball? Do England need to refine the method that has brought them so much success? And what selection questions will they be pondering in the week leading up to the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala?

WI vs SA: Chance for discards and out-of-formers to make statements

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The likes of de Kock and Charles need to find form ahead of the World Cup in this series of three T20Is

Firdose Moonda22-May-2024A trio of T20Is the week before a T20 World Cup seems like a good idea except, perhaps, if half your squad is unavailable.That’s the situation facing both West Indies and South Africa, who are without many players from their tournament squads, including their captains.Rovman Powell and Aiden Markram are both at the IPL, as well as Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell and Alzarri Joseph for West Indies, and Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada for South Africa. While they are not all still at the IPL some, like Pooran and Hope, are being rested and others, like Rabada, are recovering from illness.Related

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That makes this series an exercise that’s part warm-up, part experimentation as the T20 World Cup co-hosts face off against perennial major tournament hopefuls in the first of three engagements they will have in the next three months. South Africa will return to the Caribbean in August to play two Tests and three more T20Is, which will have far less riding on them than these matches, where there are statements to be made. Especially by the following:Openers need to find some formJohnson Charles has re-established himself as a first-choice opener alongside Brandon King (cue the monarch jokes) since making a comeback to the West Indies T20I side in South Africa last year, where he scored a 46-ball 118 to announce his return. The trouble is that he hasn’t done much since. In eight T20I innings after that, Charles has been dismissed in single figures four times and gone past 30 only once. There are signs that could change, though. He was West Indies A’s leading run-scorer on a recent tour of Nepal, and will want to build on that form ahead of the T20 World Cup.In the opposition camp, South Africa have concerns around Quinton de Kock, who has had three poor T20 league campaigns on the trot since retiring from ODI cricket last November. He was particularly out of sorts at the BBL, where he scored 104 runs in six innings, and then made 213 runs in 12 innings at the SA20 and 250 runs in 11 innings at the IPL, though that did include three fifties. At least his numbers have improved slightly at each tournament. De Kock was selected in the World Cup squad on reputation, not form, at the expense of at least two other candidates – Matthew Breetzke and Rassie van der Dussen – and in what could be his last international assignment, he will want to come good.Obed McCoy is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year, but not in West Indies’ World Cup squad•Getty ImagesDiscards with a license to dreamThe ICC only expects confirmed squads on May 25, so there’s a tiny bit of time (and perhaps one game) left for those looking to force their way into the final squads or, if that isn’t possible, just make a point about what their teams might be missing.Kyle Mayers has to be one of them. He scored no T20I fifties in 11 innings since touring South Africa in 2023 and was dropped thereafter, but made 243 runs in six innings at the BPL and boasts a T20 strike rate above 150 this year and above 143 from 40 matches last year. With power-hitting among the most talked-about attributes of top-order batters, this is his chance to show he still has it.The same will be in the back of Rassie van der Dussen’s mind. Despite being the second-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket this year, behind Babar Azam, van der Dussen could not find a T20 World Cup place ahead of de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton, but accepted the role of stand-in captain for this series, and will want to lead from the front in all aspects of his game.There are also some bowlers who might feel aggrieved at their omission. Such as Obed McCoy, who is one of the highest wicket-takers in T20Is this year but found no space in a squad that has Alzarri and Shamarh Joseph, Russell, Holder and Shepherd. He has an opportunity to show what he can do in home conditions. And Lungi Ngidi, who recovered from a lower back injury which kept him out of the IPL and made a decent comeback at the CSA T20s, will also want to prove the worth of his variations in the Caribbean. Ngidi took eight wickets in eight matches in South Africa’s domestic competition but Anrich Nortje, who conceded at more than 13 runs an over in the IPL, was preferred over him for pace.Matthew Forde’s T20I debut didn’t go too well, but he has shown promise•Associated PressNew kids on the blockSeamer Matthew Forde faced a baptism by fire when he made his T20I debut in December against England, finishing with figures of none for 54 in three overs.But he has shown that he has what it takes to be international quality. In the ODI series that preceded the T20Is then, Forde took 3 for 29 in the series decider with all three strikes in the powerplay to reduce England to 49 for 5. West Indies went on to win the series and Forde will hope to build on that promise.From South Africa, legspinner Nqaba Peter earned his first international call-up after just one season in the domestic top tier, where he took 20 wickets in the Lions’ run to the T20 title at an average of 9.50. Peter bowled exceptionally in the big moments, including taking 4 for 18 in the semi-final, and could provide South Africa with an attacking slower bowling option in the future.

Jayasuriya takes charge: 'It's about confidence and trust, and a little bit of luck'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The same qualities that brought Jayasuriya criticism when he was a selector have contributed to his success when he was interim coach

Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-2024Confidence, data-driven insight, and a little bit of luck. These are the core tenets of Sanath Jayasuriya’s coaching philosophy, which have worked well enough for him to be handed the reins of Sri Lanka’s men’s national team, following roughly three months in the role in an interim capacity.Those three months, while not being a runaway success, included a home ODI series win against India, a home Test series win against New Zealand and an impressive Test win in England – yes, they lost the series 2-1, but it was a crucial victory from the WTC point of view. The only real blip was Jayasuriya’s first assignment, a T20I series defeat to reigning world champions India.”What I have always said is that it’s all about confidence and trust. I created that around the team and that’s very important,” Jayasuriya said on Monday, as he faced the media following the announcement of his full-time appointment. “And I think there was a little bit of luck also. You may do a lot of work, but you need that luck sometimes.Related

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“At the same time, the players are determined to do well. They know what they went through over the last couple of years. They were really down and I asked the people to support the Sri Lanka cricketers. They are a good bunch of cricketers and they are talented. Only thing I gave was confidence, and I am there with them. They can talk to me and discuss anything.”That, in a nutshell, is Jayasuriya the coach. Arm around the shoulder, almost parent-like in the handling of his players. While during his time as chief selector, this was one of the criticisms directed at him – that he was at times too comfortable with his players, seen giving them advice and instructions in the lead up to, or even during, matches – now it’s seen as a strength.Jayasuriya has always been all action, with emotions firmly worn on his sleeves. Even during his short stint as interim coach, it was not uncommon to see him standing on the boundary line at the edge of the dugout, no attempt whatsoever at hiding his many emotions.”Yeah, he himself gets nervous sometimes, but he doesn’t let that happen to us,” Angelo Mathews had said recently during Sri Lanka’s second Test against New Zealand.And most times at the highest levels of team sport, it’s not so much about the actual coaching as it is your ability to get the message across effectively to the players. Sri Lanka have had 14 head coaches across their history (not including interim appointments) including some on multiple occasions, but Jayasuriya is only the fourth from Sri Lanka.

“In practice, we try and find different ways to do them [training sessions]. I want to make them interesting. Even before we start training, we’ve done little changes to create a nice atmosphere. So there are little things I do but it goes a long way”Sanath Jayasuriya

While foreign coaches bring a mountain of experience, their communication often relies on a translator, with several anecdotes abound about players over the years having tuned out during team briefings as a result of this language barrier. This, allied with Jayasuriya’s standing as a player , has provided him with a unique authority over the dressing room.”It’s easy for me to communicate first and foremost,” he said. “Any issues they have they can speak with me freely, and it’s easy to sort out. They have the confidence to do that. They also know what sort of cricket I played, so they know the value I bring.”But I have a responsibility as a local coach, I don’t have favourites. I will always play the team that is best for Sri Lanka cricket. I know that after me, it’s unlikely that a local coach will get this role. So there’s a responsibility I have on that end as well.”As for insights into Jayasuriya’s coaching acumen, there is yet to be any real information forthcoming, aside from the results. This is largely down to his role as a man-manager first and foremost, with tactical insights derived from the data gathered by SLC’s centralised hub for advanced cricket analytics – their “brain centre”.”The players also know what sort of cricket I played, so they know the value I bring”•Getty Images”In practice, we try and find different ways to do them [training sessions],” he said. “I want to make them interesting. Even before we start training, we’ve done little changes to create a nice atmosphere. So there are little things I do but it goes a long way.”The basics are very important. And that they enjoy, and that they are focusing [on]. But like I always say, focus maximum and when you finish, switch off. I don’t need to put them under pressure when they are not playing and the game is finished.”A very key area at the moment is the analysing department. That’s why Sri Lanka Cricket has invested a lot of money to the ‘brain centre’. We got some support from India too recently to educate our analysis department. It was very successful. And every tour we get data on the opposition, we go through it and discuss every detail. We then discuss our plans 48 hours before the match, so it’s easy for us to go out and execute our plan.”But while it’s been a satisfying honeymoon period, there are much sterner tests to come. For Jayasuriya, though, as a player, administrator, and now coach, a challenge is something to take head-on.”I think this is [something I] never expected, but I am very happy to achieve this and get this opportunity,” he said. “It’s a challenging job, I know that, it’s not a very easy job. But I want to take on that challenge and move forward with the team.”

Awesome in Australia: India's greatest Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance down under

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Rahul Dravid’s Adelaide 2003 performance voted as the best by fans

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-202425:34

Exclusive: Rahul Dravid relives his Adelaide epic

ESPNcricinfo LtdFinalRahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs Rishabh Pant’s 89*
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Semi-finalsSemi-final 1: Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Semi-final 2: Rishabh Pant’s 89* vs Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141
Winner – Rishabh Pant’s 89*Quarter-finalsQuarter-final 1: Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60*
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Quarter-final 2: Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53 vs Cheteshwar Pujara’s 123 & 71
Winner – Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53Quarter-final 3: VVS Laxman’s 167 vs Rishabh Pant’s 89*
Winner – Rishabh Pant’s 89*Quarter-final 4: Virat Kohli’s 123 vs Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141
Winner – Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141Round of 16Match-up 1: Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs R Ashwin’s 3-57 & 3-92
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Match-up 2: Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60* vs Virender Sehwag’s 63 & 151
Winner – Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60*Match-up 3: Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53 vs Cheteshwar Pujara’s 50 and 77
Winner – Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53Match-up 4: Cheteshwar Pujara’s 123 & 71 vs Shardul Thakur’s 3-94, 67 & 4-61
Winner – Cheteshwar Pujara’s 123 & 71Match-up 5: VVS Laxman’s 167 vs Ajinkya Rahane’s 112
Winner – VVS Laxman’s 167Match-up 6: Rishabh Pant’s 89* vs Ajit Agarkar’s 6-41
Winner – Rishabh Pant’s 89*Match-up 7: Anil Kumble’s 8-141 & 4-138 vs Virat Kohli’s 123
Winner – Virat Kohli’s 123Match-up 8: Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141 vs Sourav Ganguly’s 144
Winner – Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141

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