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West Indies, who have been elbowed out the 2017 Champions Trophy since they last played an ODI, will be looking to regain their reputation against a Sri Lanka team that has not won an ODI series since 2014

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Oct-2015

Match facts

November 1, 2015
Start time 1430 local (0900 GMT)1:01

New-look West Indies hope for change in fortune

Big Picture

Sri Lanka have had an abysmal year in ODIs. The last time they won an ODI series was against England at home, and let’s be fair, that barely even counts. They lost the ODI series in New Zealand 4-2, crashed spectacularly out in the World Cup quarter-final, and have since lost to Pakistan.But they are now up against a side that has arguably had an even worse 2015 – partly because they have barely had the chance to play any ODI. West Indies were defeated 4-1 by South Africa at the beginning of the year, memorably lost to Ireland in a World Cup campaign which also came to an end in the quarter-final, and they have not played since. During their down time, West Indies were elbowed out of the 2017 Champions Trophy.Jason Holder’s men now set out to regain something of their reputation – to prove that they can still be a force in limited-overs cricket, even if Test-match excellence is some way off. There are a few bright sparks in the side, as partially evidenced by the visitors’ stirring comeback in the practice match on Thursday. In that game, Carlos Brathwaite and Andre Russell – batting at nos. 8 and 9, cracked 193 runs together off 109 balls, to propel the team beyond 300. West Indies may not yet have a side that can prevail over five days, but they still have limited-overs cricketers who can scramble oppositions.Though West Indies’ trial by spin is likely to continue on a Khettarama surface known to turn up dry on match day, they will be pleased that Rangana Herath – chief among their banes in the Tests – will not play. Instead, Sri Lanka are set to field a more fragile spin attack. Sachithra Senanayake has been a diminished bowler since remodeling his action last year, Ajantha Mendis has often been exposed by powerful hitting, and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay is yet to play an ODI.Sri Lanka’s batting appears much sturdier than the visitors’ top order, but is awash in inexperience, and as such, is hardly infallible.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WLLWL
West Indies: LWLLW

In the spotlight

Lasith Malinga bowled so poorly against Pakistan, he was eventually dropped from the XI for the last match of that series. His T20 returns were no better. Having been visibly unfit since his ankle surgery last year, Malinga has lost a little of the accuracy and pace that once envenomed his bowling. He is Sri Lanka’s T20 captain for now, and with a major tournament on the horizon, fans will be intrigued to learn whether Malinga can still make top orders wobble as much as his belly recently has.Since Sunil Narine last played an international match, in August last year, he has had his action reported and tested twice by the BCCI. He has been cleared by them to bowl, after adopting a remedied action, which has not been tested at international level yet. With Marlon Samuels also facing suspicion of throwing, Narine’s nous and variations will be relied upon on in Colombo.

Teams news

Sri Lanka may try to shoehorn batting allrounder Shehan Jayasuriya somewhere in the top seven – most likely at No.6, pushing Milinda Siriwardana to No.7. The rest of the top order is fairly predictable. With Jayasuriya and Siriwardana both capable of providing spin, Sri Lanka may opt to include tearaway Dushmantha Chameera, to provide variety to the pace attack. Lahiru Thirimanne is expected to reclaim his place at No.3, after being dropped in the Tests. Dinesh Chandimal is suspended for the first ODI, and is likely to be replaced by Danushka Gunathilaka, meaning there could be two ODI debutants.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Shehan Jayasuriya, 7 Milinda Siriwardana, 8 Sachithra Senanayake, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Dushmantha ChameeraIt has been so long since West Indies have played an ODI, their XI is much more difficult to predict. Narine looks likely to play, and Andre Fletcher looks likely to open in place of the injured Chris Gayle.West Indies (probable): 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Jonathan Carter, 6 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 7 Jason Holder (capt.), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Carlos Brathwaite, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Ravi Rampaul

Pitch and conditions

Colombo has been experiencing heavy evening rains all through the past week. More of the same is expected on Sunday, which means the Duckworth-Lewis equation may be used at some point in the evening. The Premadasa surface is usually given to turn.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have won four and lost eight matches this year.
• Marlon Samuels’ ODI record in Sri Lanka is almost as poor as his Test record. He has hit 57 runs at an average of 14.25 across five innings on the island.
• Angelo Mathews needs 85 runs to reach 4000 in ODIs.

Quotes

“We won’t announce our team till the morning of the match, but there’s a good chance we’ll see some young players in the XI.”
“Sri Lanka is ranked higher than us now. If we beat this team here now, we will gain quite a few rankins points. It’s important that we keep winning games and keep boosting our points. All these restrictions and cut off points in terms of ICC tournaments is very important.”
*13:16 GMT – This story had incorrectly included Dinesh Chandimal in the probable XI. This has been fixed.

He may have had to accept a draw in his maiden match as Surrey captain, but Graeme Smith welcomed the first steps on his new journey with cautious optimism.

George Dobell at The Oval20-Apr-2013
ScorecardGraeme Smith, sharing a laugh with Marcus Trescothick, enjoyed his first game with his new club•PA Photos

He may have had to accept a draw in his maiden match as Surrey captain, but Graeme Smith welcomed the first steps on his new journey with cautious optimism.Perhaps, if Steven Davies had held on to a tough chance from Alviro Petersen early in his second innings, and perhaps, if Surrey had included another seamer, they might even have forced victory in this game. Perhaps it was simply the loss of more than a session to rain on day two that was decisive.But, after everything that has happened at Surrey in the last 12 months, it would be wrong to judge success purely by winning or losing. Smith, a mature leader who had seen his share of triumph and disaster, knows this. He is committed to the club for the long haul and saw plenty to encourage him in the display of his new team-mates.”Everyone is speaking a lot about last year,” Smith said. “So for the players it is good to have taken the step into the new season and set those new parameters and boundaries. It’s good to move away from the experiences of last year.”We want to get the enjoyment back. We want to play good tough cricket. That’s what we are trying to instil in the club.”I certainly enjoyed the four days. We have got a lot out of it – a lot of positives – and I think we finished the four days the stronger team. It was good to see that character from them.”As it was, this match petered out. Or Petersened out, if you prefer. The South African opener came within nine of becoming the first man to score a century in both innings of his maiden first-class match for Somerset. As it is, he will have to be content with overtaking Cameron White as the highest aggregate scorer in his first game for the club. The last man to score 100 in his maiden first-class game for Somerset was, unlikely though it sounds, Andrew Strauss. He made an unbeaten 109 against the Indians at Taunton in 2011.While Petersen has quickly proved himself a decent overseas signing – with the only caveat being that he will play on many trickier surfaces than this – perhaps of more long-term significance was the performance of Jos Buttler. It would be wrong to read too much into one innings on a flat track but, at a time when Somerset were threatening to coax some drama out of a routine situation, he held firm against some demanding bowling and with his team under some pressure. With time running out, he fell to a catch on the long on boundary attempting to reach his third first-class century with a six.With Buttler, it is the strokes he does not play that are as relevant as those he does. No-one doubts his ability to hit the ball cleanly or conjure outrageous strokes. It is his ability to defend and deny that remains in doubt. So, while the last 40 or so runs of this innings might linger longest in the memory – he produced some of those trademark straight drives and several powerful pulls as he accelerated in search of his century – it was the first 50 that really impressed. It showed a young man responding to his team’s needs with a restrained, mature performance that exhibited a decent defence and an ability to leave and play straight. The runs that followed, with the game saved, were soft.The cause of Somerset’s earlier predicament was Stuart Meaker. After a disappointing first innings display, he bowled with pace, swing and accuracy in the second. He dismissed two England opening batsmen – Marcus Trescothick drawn into playing at one that left him and Nick Compton punished for playing slightly across an inswinging yorker – on the way to the ninth five-wicket haul of his career. The ability to dismiss such high-quality players on such flat pitches is precious.Had he enjoyed more support, Surrey may well have prevailed. Jade Dernbach continued to bowl well, but the selection of a second spinner instead of a really effective third seamer hampered Surrey. Gary Keedy bowled 37.5 overs in the match and claimed only one wicket – caught on the boundary – for 116 runs.Later Meaker beat Alfonso Thomas for pace, when an understandably timid forward prod brought an inside edge on to the stumps, and sustained Peter Trego’s grim run of form – he has suffered three ducks already this season – by inducing an outside edge and then beat Jamie Overton for pace, too. The only concern was that he was forced off with a thigh strain and must be considered a doubt ahead of the next game.”Stuart is an X-factor cricketer,” Smith said afterwards. “He has the pace; he has the skill. He has an interesting winter – going on tour with England but not really playing – and confidence is very important. He’ll go on to be successful.”At one stage, with Somerset on 82 for 4 and leading by just 98, it seemed he might have earned his side an unlikely chance of victory. But Davies dropped Petersen down the leg side – Zander de Bruyn was the unfortunate bowler – when he had scored only 13 and he and Buttler added 111 for the fifth-wicket to make the game safe. Petersen has already scored more runs (235 at an average of 21.36; he only passed 20 once in 11 innings) than he managed in his seven-match stint with Essex last year. Essex’s record of reducing their team to far less than the sum of its parts is remarkable.”Alviro was the difference in this game,” Smith said. “His runs kept Somerset ahead of the game. He is an outstanding player and he showed that in both innings.”The pitch didn’t deteriorate as much as we thought it would. We thought it would turn more. Maybe we could have with an extra seamer. But we were under pressure at the end of day two but have finished the match the stronger of the two sides, so that is very pleasing. We would love to have wickets with good pace and bounce. It’s been a long, rough winter for the surface.”We were looking at big improvement from the batting unit from last year, so to have two guys make centuries under pressure was very good.”I thought Rory Burns handled the pressure really well. He is a young guy, but he seems to understand his game and understand what it takes to be successful. And Steve Davies looked like he enjoyed his four days. His batting was controlled; his glovework was excellent. He was very tidy. If you don’t notice a keeper they’ve done well. I think he went unnoticed. If he can bat like that and keep like that it will be a very successful season for him.”Smith, meanwhile, is already hinting that he may like to extend his stay. While he dismissed any suggestion of any imminent retirement from international cricket with South Africa, he did not rule out the possibility of registering as a Kolpak or extending his deal as an overseas player in the future.”At the end of your career, if the opportunities come, you never know,” Smith said. “Obviously I have three years at Surrey and if things go well I would love to extend that opportunity. I have signed for three years for a reason. If I have more to offer then I’d love to stay.”It was easy to see why. On a perfect summer day, a crowd of just under 1,400 witnessed the conclusion of a good quality game between two fine sides. The club has been through a harrowing episode that will never be forgotten but quietly and respectfully, the smile is returning to the face of Surrey cricket.

In a first-of-its-kind in the IPL, Rudi Webster, the renowned sports psychologist, has been appointed by Kolkata Knight Riders as their mental skills coach for the fifth season

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2012In a first-of-its-kind in the IPL, Rudi Webster, the renowned sports psychologist, has been appointed by Kolkata Knight Riders as their mental skills coach for the fifth season.Webster, who has influenced minds like Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Greg Chappell, Brian Lara and Virender Sehwag, felt that there is a lot of value addition he can provide to the Kolkata players, especially in a pressure-filled Twenty20 environment where players “people tend to panic”.”A lot of people panic under these conditions. Usually, under pressure like that, people who stay calm and take step by step usually do better than people who panic and take bad decisions,” Webster told ESPNcricinfo, explaining the need for someone like to him to sit on the coaching bench and an “asset” to have.According to Webster, his primary job is to assist the coach and captain to get the best out of the players, and to help the players get the best out of themselves. The Barbados-born Webster, a former Warwickshire fast bowler with 272 wickets, had worked with the Indian team as a consultant during their West Indies tour in 2006 and briefly during the Champions Trophy later that year. It was in the West Indies where Sehwag, going through a slump in form and fitness, had a three-hour long chat with Webster, post which he admitted he had never chatted so “deeply with anyone.” The transformation was immediate and Sehwag thanked Webster to clearing his mind.The idea to get Webster came from Venky Mysore, the Knight Riders’ CEO. Mysore, who joined the franchise last year, realised that the tight scheduling in an IPL season and a short time window was a big challenge for a team to come together. He consulted the pair of Gautam Gambhir and Trevor Bayliss, Kolktata’s captain and coach, and the team management before calling up Webster.”There is very little time for a diverse group of players to come together and get to know each other and then focusing on the common goals and align the individual objectives, which is a huge challenge,” Mysore said.There was also the possibility, at times, of a young Indian domestic player being overwhelmed in the presence of more experienced international players. “For an uncapped Indian boy to find himself in the presence of legends like Jacques Kallis or a Brett Lee in the set-up suddenly and say ‘I am good enough’ and be confident, it is always easier said than done.”Hence, Mysore felt the best way to groom young players was to get a professional on board, like Webster, who had the credibility and experience to interact individually with the players and that could bring comfort to the squad. “He is someone who can relate to the players and make a difference because of his experience of having worked with so many great players,” Mysore said.Webster said the reason he took it up was because it was a “different and new challenge.” According to Webster, the performance problems remain the same across all three formats, the only difference being the pressure is condensed into a smaller time-span. “It is much quicker. There’s a lot more pressure,” he said. “The pressure is compressed into a shorter time, so in some respects it is slightly different from the longer formats.”Asked how he aimed to bring about a change, Webster pointed out that everything in sport is linked to performance. “Performance is built on four pillars: fitness, technical skill, strategy and tactics and finally the mental component. You must be strong in all four of them if you want to play well,” Webster said. And most are inter-linked. “The first three of those components is controlled by the fourth – how well you express the skills and how well you set your strategy is controlled by how well you use your mind.”According to Webster, in any form of sport – shorter or longer version – it is the mental skill that determines how well the athlete expresses his physical skill. And that is where his role, as a mental skills specialist, comes to the fore.Because of the demands on the players in a pressure-packed Twenty20 match, dealing with pressure is more important than in the other two formats. And being mentally confident becomes vital in such a scenario, but players are not so well trained in that area. “It is the pillar (mental) that has been neglected,” Webster said.Edited by Kanishkaa Balachandran

Australia began their World Cup campaign on a winning note, wrapping up an easy 91-run win over a Zimbabwean outfit with no answer to the pace battery of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill21-Feb-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Shaun Tait’s pace was too much for Zimbabwe as Australia surged to a 91-run win at Motera•Getty Images

Australia began their World Cup campaign on a winning note, wrapping up an easy 91-run win over a Zimbabwean outfit that had no answer to the pace battery of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson, who finished as the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 19. Zimbabwe had put in a spirited display in the field to keep Australia to 262 for 6 on a good batting wicket, but they never looked like chasing the runs down once a positive opening stand between Charles Coventry and Brendan Taylor had been broken.With Lee and Tait steaming in with the new ball, Zimbabwe’s openers had every reason to be nervous but they quickly shed their early jitters – Coventry’s flambuoyant flash over cover point being a particular highlight – and started to settle before Lee switched his length with immediate reward. Digging the ball in, he drew a false stroke from Coventry and an ungainly hook resulted in a top edge that Lee himself charged round to catch.Brendan Taylor did his best to overcome the setback but the revival was short-lived and after Tatenda Taibu glided Johnson straight to slip Tait beat Taylor for pace, aiming one full and straight and pin-balling it off bat and pad to disturb his stumps. It was extreme speed that did for Craig Ervine, too, as he took his eyes off a Johnson bumper to wear one on the grille and was pinned on the pad in front of middle and leg by the very next ball. With the Umpire unwilling to send him on his way, a successful referral was asked for and Zimbabwe’s chase quickly began to slide towards the mire at 44 for 4 in the 13th over.Williams didn’t look particularly comfortable against Johnson either, but he and Chigumbura did at least manage to survive the onslaught and slowly began to rebuild against Australia’s second string. The chase derailed completely when Chigumbura gloved Jason Krejza to Haddin for 14 in the 22nd over and Zimbabwe’s last hopes evaporated soon after, Williams wafting Tait to slip as the score sank to 96 for 6. Despite some stubborn resistance from Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer, there was no coming back from there.

Smart Stats

• Australia scored just 28 runs in the first ten overs of their innings. Their lowest ever aggregate in the first ten overs since 2000 is 7 for 4 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2006.

• Shane Watson, during the course of his 79, scored his 20th half-century in ODIs. In 28 matches since the beginning of 2010, he has scored one century and ten fifties at an average of 42.81.

• Ricky Ponting was run out for the 30th time in ODIs, which is second only to Mark Waugh’s 32 run-out dismissals among Australian batsmen. Ponting also holds the record for most run-out dismissals in Tests (14).

• Ray Price, who picked up 1 for 43 off his ten overs, has a career economy rate of 3.87, which is the best among spinners who have bowled in at least 50 innings.

• With their 91-run victory, Australia extended their undefeated streak in World Cups to 30 matches. Their last defeat in World Cups came against Pakistan in May 1999.

• Mitchell Johnson finished with figures of 4 for 19 in 9.2 overs at an economy rate of 2.03. Among Australian bowlers who have bowled at least eight overs in an innings in a World Cup match, Shane Warne has the best economy rate of 1.10 against West Indies in 1999.

• Ricky Ponting has now played in the most World Cup matches (40), going past Glenn Mcgrath, with whom he shared the previous record of 39 matches.

It had been a different story for Zimbabwe when they were in the field as some disciplined bowling and inspired fielding ensured Australia’s batsmen never really got away from them. As has been the case so often in recent times, Shane Watson provided the bulk of the runs at the top of the order with a well-paced 79, while Michael Clarke guided their charge past 250 with an unbeaten 58.Watson and Haddin made a strangely subdued start, and despite the admirable professionalism shown by Zimbabwe’s attack one might have expected more than 28 runs to have come from the first Powerplay. While Chris Mpofu, the only specialist seamer in the side, maintained a disciplined off-stump line, Ray Price shared the new pill and also lived up to his unapologetically brusque reputation, laying into Watson before he’d even faced a ball.The batsmen finally decided they had had enough of the wait-and-see tactic and broke loose with 17 off Mpofu’s sixth over but Zimbabwe struck back when Utseya came on at the end of the first Powerplay. After an exemplary start to his spell – in which not a run was scored for the first nine deliveries he sent down – had his reward when Haddin stepped back to a flighted delivery and was struck in line with middle and leg. Umpire Asoka de Silva thought there might have been an inside edge, but Zimbabwe asked for a review – this being their first ever look at the UDRS – and had the decision over-turned.After a quiet start to his innings Watson started to strike the ball with ominous force, lifting Cremer into the stands with a brutal pull, before he was removed by Zimbabwe’s second fortuitous referral of the day. Stretching forward to a Cremer legbreak, Watson played with more pad than bat to prompt an emotive appeal. This time it was Umpire Richard Kettleborough who decided there was enough doubt to turn it down, but wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu insisted on a referral and Zimbabwe were rewarded with the result they wanted.They were given a serious lift in the very next over as Ricky Ponting, in his first full international innings since his return from a finger injury, took on Mpofu’s arm with a hard-run second as the ball rolled to midwicket. A pinpoint rocket throw hit the wicket directly to catch him well short to spark wild celebrations from Zimbabwe and with that Australia were 144 for 3. Clarke and Cameron White started their rebuilding effort cautiously and Zimbabwe never let the game get away from them, Mpofu recovering well from a cumbersome start to his spell at the death to rattle White’s stumps and reduce Australia to 207 for 4.David Hussey and Steve Smith came and went in quick succession but gave the innings some oomph while they were at the crease, both clearing the boundary with some powerful strokes. Clarke remained to guide Australia to a total which, while probably not as many as they would have hoped for, still proved far too much for a Zimbabwe line-up with precious little experience of facing express international fast bowling.

Match Timeline

Stuart Broad remains hopeful of being available for the first Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong as he recovers from a back problem

Cricinfo staff08-Mar-2010Stuart Broad remains hopeful of being available for the first Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong as he recovers from his back problem, but he hasn’t been helped by an uncomfortable hotel bed.Broad pulled up with his injury – a spasm caused by a problem with the facet joint – during the second ODI in Dhaka and it was exacerbated by the flight to Chittagong. He has since undergone extensive physio, but revealed some less conventional methods were needed to overcome a rock-hard mattress.”The beds in our hotel are incredibly hard like someone has laid down a boundary board and that hasn’t exactly been the most enjoyable experience with my back until we got some foam put down,” he said. “The foam in the bed idea was actually Matt Prior’s. I’m in the connecting next door and all I can hear is him moaning about the bed and it creaking with each turn.”The next day some maintenance guy from the hotel walked in with a massive bit of foam and we cut it up so that we each had enough for our beds, now a few of the other lads have followed suit.”Broad is one of a glut of injury problems that have hampered England since arriving in Bangladesh. Already Ryan Sidebottom has flown home and fellow paceman Graham Onions is also receiving treatment on a back injury that has left him doubtful for the opening clash and England needing reinforcements.Broad went through his first gentle bowl on Monday, but knows he’ll have to give his back a proper workout in the days leading into the Test to find out whether he can withstand a five-day game.”I don’t think I’m far off being ready for a Test match, but I need to test myself to the max over the next couple of days,” he said. “Today was only a light bowl and tomorrow I’m going to push myself harder as is Graham and then if it all goes to plan then we will be bowling as hard as we can by Wednesday.”The key for me is to then come back and be able to bowl as hard as I can on Thursday, but if I can’t then I won’t be able to honestly say that I’ll be fit for a Test match.With James Anderson in England resting his chronic knee problem, Broad is the most experienced bowler on tour and is central to the team’s planning both with the ball and also his lower-order batting which helps balance the side. But with England looking likely to play two spinners they can’t afford for one of their quicks to pull up during the match and Broad won’t be taking any chances.”I’ve bowled a bit earlier than first hoped because that gives us time to get a proper gauge on how it is because I certainly won’t declare myself fit for a Test match if I’m not a hundred percent sure I can bowl for five days,” he said. “That would be unfair on the team, so I will only be up for selection if we know I’m fully fit. The biggest thing for me is to have got enough volume of overs before the game.”

With 50 games done in IPL 2024, no team has qualified for the playoffs – and no team is out of the race yet

S Rajesh02-May-2024Mumbai Indians can still make the playoffs. Even though Sunrisers Hyderabad’s victory over Rajasthan Royals has made their task tougher, Mumbai can still make the top four with 14 points.As things stand, it’s still possible for MI to be tied for third spot on 14 points, if RR and Kolkata Knight Riders win most of their matches and take the top two positions. For example, if Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers lose all their remaining games except the ones they play against each other on May 8, then the winner of that match will finish on 14, tied for third place with MI if they win their last four. It’s even possible for the six remaining teams to be tied on 12 each.

What if Mumbai lose to KKR?

If MI lose to KKR and the other matches follow the result pattern mentioned above, then MI will be one of seven teams tied on 12, fighting for one spot. That means mathematically they’ll still be in the mix even if they lose on Friday.

What about RCB’s chances? Are they still in the mix?

With six points from 10 games, RCB are in the same position as MI, except that they are on a two-match winning streak, compared to three losses in a row for MI. Fourteen points could keep them in the mix but at this stage, even 12 gives them a mathematical chance.

Rajasthan Royals have all but qualified, right?

Well, not quite. They are, of course, in the best position among all teams with 16 points from 10 games, but if they lose their four remaining matches, then it’s possible for four teams – KKR, SRH, LSG and Chennai Super Kings – to finish on 18 or more points. Even if they win one, RR could still be one of five teams with 18 or more.So, with 50 games done in IPL 2024, no team has qualified for the playoffs, and no team is out of the race yet.

Hosts boost hopes of World Cup qualification as champions face longest losing streak since 2014

Alan Gardner31-Jan-2023

Big picture: South Africa aiming for series sweep

The series has been won, but it’s not quite mission accomplished for South Africa, who are a win away from getting up into the top eight of the World Cup Super League. Two clinical performances against the reigning world champions (albeit England’s crown has slipped a fair bit recently) means they are sitting a little more comfortably, with a pair of home fixtures against Netherlands to come, but these are fine margins and something as small as an over-rate penalty could be the difference between securing a direct spot for India later this year or going to the qualifier in Zimbabwe.Reports of South Africa’s demise, in this format at least, have turned out to be exaggerated – they whitewashed India 3-0 at home this time last year, after all. But with Temba Bavuma producing a bravura hundred to inspire a record chase in Bloemfontein, it might even be the case that home supporters start looking forward to the visit of West Indies in a few weeks, rather than pining for the return of the SA20.

Sam Curran fined for Bavuma send-off

Sam Curran has been fined 15 percent of his match fee, following his send-off for Temba Bavuma during the second ODI in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
Curran was found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct, and has also been handed one demerit point – the first of his career.
He did not contest the charge, which came after he was deemed to have “excessively celebrated towards and in close proximity to the dismissed batter”, after inducing Bavuma to play onto his own stumps during his matchwinning century.

South Africa’s boxfresh new T20 competition will start up again on Thursday, and there have already been hints that the likes of Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada could be rested ahead of flying down to the coast for an evening contest between Durban’s Super Giants and MI Cape Town. But the mood in the camp, under the temporary guidance of Shukri Conrad, certainly seems to have lifted and there is the chance to inflict a rare 3-0 reverse on Jos Buttler’s side.At least, you might peg it as rare, before a quick check confirms England lost their last ODI series, a benighted bit of scheduling post-T20 World Cup in Australia, 3-0 as well. Their record since Buttler was installed as Eoin Morgan’s permanent successor last year currently reads: P11 W2 L8. Even if outwardly the mantra remains positive, and there is time aplenty to formulate plans for the World Cup defence in October-November, it’s hard to think of an instance when a win was more needed since the Morgan revolution began in 2015.Buttler seems as unflappable as his predecessor and barely needs to bother marshalling a defence. The Australia series gets a free pass, since it came days after the captain was being snapped on a Melbourne beachfront holding the T20 World Cup. Here he is without the likes of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood – in part because of injury, in part because of a schedule that means England currently have full men’s squads in both South Africa and New Zealand. Not to mention Ben Stokes, the king over the water whose unretirement bandwagon is already gathering pace.He can also point to the fact that an England side with a little more consistent ODI cricket under their belts would have expected to win both games in Bloemfontein. Kimberley is mining country, the “Big Hole” one of the local tourist attractions – but England have time to dig themselves out of difficulty yet.

Form guide

South Africa WWLLW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
England: LLLLL

In the spotlight: Aiden Markram and Moeen Ali

Since making his ODI debut in October 2017, Aiden Markram has played 45 ODIs while averaging 28.75 – the only other top-four batter to score 1000 runs in that time at a lower average is the now-retired William Porterfield. Markram’s nickname is “Sauce”, apparently because he goes with everything, and there were glimpses of his undoubted talent in a 43-ball 49 in the second ODI, during which he also burgled the wicket of Harry Brook. But time is running out to prove he’s got the special sauce across all three formats for South Africa.You might think that Moeen Ali scoring a dashing half-century, at better than a run a ball, isn’t so noteworthy. But the fact that his belligerent effort in Bloem was his first 50-plus score in an ODI since 2017 is altogether more discombobulating. Moeen has always been a player whose individual moments of brilliance transcend his rather-more-ordinary stats – but batting and bowling averages of 23.13 (strike rate 80.32) and 59.33 since the 2019 World Cup are underwhelming even by his standards. He should be a lock for No. 6 or 7 in the team that goes to India, but a run of form in this format would be timely.

Team news: De Kock likely to miss out

De Kock hurt his hand while keeping during the second ODI and won’t be considered for selection*, with Janneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks – the only two South Africa players to net on Tuesday – waiting in the wings as back-up openers. None of the frontline quicks, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, bowled at training and South Africa could deploy both spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, depending on conditions.South Africa: (possible) 1 Janneman Malan/Reeza Hendricks, 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Sisanda Magala, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiPhil Salt enjoys himself at England training•Getty Images

England have Phil Salt available after illness if they want to make changes to the batting and will likely shuffle the bowling attack. Jofra Archer could make his second appearance of the series, having taken 1 for 81 on his long-awaited England comeback last week – and despite being a potential starter for MI Cape Town 24 hours later. Chris Woakes and Reece Topley both endured a pasting in the second ODI, while Olly Stone was England’s best bowler but may be in line for some workload management.England: (possible) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Jofra Archer

Pitch and conditions: Kimberley set to be hot and flat

Kimberley has not hosted an ODI since 2018, when Zimbabwe managed just 117 against an attack spearheaded by Rabada and Ngidi. But a flat surface is expected for this contest and soaring temperatures plus a short boundary suggests another round of 300-plus run-scoring could be in the offing. There have been heavy showers in the lead up but the forecast is clear for Wednesday.

Stats and trivia

• The last time England lost five ODIs in a row came at home during series against Sri Lanka and India in 2014. They have not lost six on the bounce since 2009.
• South Africa are aiming for their first ODI series whitewash against England.
• England have only played one previous ODI in Kimberley – an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in 2000.
• Wayne Parnell needs two wickets to reach 100 in ODIs. He will be the 13th South Africa to reach the milestone.

Quotes

“We’re here to win, we want to win the series 3-0. It’s really important to be putting the right people on the park but our squad is incredibly strong, we’re always producing great cricketers in South Africa. Whoever does play I have no doubt that we’re going to have a full-strength team. To be nice and clinical would be the cherry on top.”
“We haven’t played our greatest cricket. We’ve not had the all-round performance that we want but there’s some positives to take forward. Hopefully we can win the final game and finish the series on a positive note.”
Olly Stone attempts to rally the troops*February 1, 0930 GMT – This story was updated with news of de Kock’s absence

“Naturally you bowl a little shorter here but you don’t want to be drawn into bowling too short”

Tristan Lavalette02-Dec-2021It’s a question that dogs England ahead of every Ashes tour: can their attack master the Kookaburra ball like their favoured Dukes back home?The Kookaburra, which swings considerably less than the Dukes used in the UK, has unstuck England’s bowlers over the years on batting-friendly Australian pitches, which are generally harder and bouncier.England have not won a Test in Australia since their famous 2010-11 Ashes triumph, and to break that drought, they will need to crack open Australia’s top order led by Steven Smith and David Warner, who have put pedestrian bowling from the tourists to the sword over the years, and the latest star in Marnus Labuschagne.Allrounder Chris Woakes was one such quick, who struggled in England’s 4-0 thrashing in 2017-18, finishing with ten wickets at 49.50 from four Tests. He and some of England’s less experienced exponents of the Kookaburra are likely to counsel James Anderson and Stuart Broad – veterans of Ashes tours though with mixed success overall with the ball – ahead of the first Test at the Gabba on December 8.Related

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“The Kookaburra is very different to the Dukes and what we’re used to back home,” Woakes said on Thursday in Brisbane as England were finally able to get some time in the middle with the rain staying away. “We have a good amount of experience from guys who have been here before. We touch base with those guys to see what’s worked in the past.”The vagaries of the Kookaburra have traditionally been tough for England’s bowlers to grasp, exacerbated on this tour thus far by the lack of match practice due to Brisbane’s poor weather.”It’s about trying to experiment. Getting the ball to move sideways is probably the biggest challenge,” Woakes said. “Trying to work different things, like how we hold it. Trying to get the ball to move off the straight is quite important.”Woakes, who bowled superbly on his return to Test cricket against India at The Oval after an absence of a year, added that England’s quicks, excellent exponents of swing, had to be prepared to adapt with ball in hand amid conditions more conducive to bounce – traditionally a main characteristic of the Gabba. But a key, according to Woakes, would be not going overboard with short-pitched bowling, which has perennially undone overeager bowlers in Australia.”You have to be willing to change your game… different ball, different conditions [to England],” he said. “You do get good bounce here. Trying to extract that as much as possible. Naturally you bowl a little shorter here but you don’t want to be drawn into bowling too short. [It’s about] trying to utilise that bounce.”