Cricket's American dream takes flight – 'This season is about proving we can do it'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

“The growth progression for the sport [in the USA] is really strong,” says MLC tournament director Justin Geale

Matt Roller12-Jul-2023It is the day before the third Ashes Test but Justin Geale, an Australian from Wagga Wagga, is not in Leeds. Instead, he is 4500 miles away in Dallas. “I’m walking around the stadium now,” he says. “It’s about 40 degrees, and there’s a cricket ground out in the middle.”Geale is the tournament director for Major League Cricket (MLC), the six-team franchise competition which launches on Thursday. He is an experienced administrator who spent eight years working for IMG, predominantly at the IPL, but says of bringing MLC into existence: “This is the hardest thing I’ve done.”The league has secured over US$ 120 million of funding and the involvement of four IPL owners or co-owners, plus two Australian states as “high-performance partners”, adds to its credibility. The squad lists for the inaugural season, which runs from July 13 to 30, are stacked. More than 30 IPL players are involved – and will earn up to $175,000 for two-and-a-half weeks’ work.Related

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Cricket has hoped to expand its reach in the USA for decades with limited success, but the next five years will present three “touchpoints”, to use Geale’s word: the launch of MLC; the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by USA and West Indies; and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which the ICC is actively targeting as part of its plan to “drive targeted growth” in the USA.”This is where the growth could be,” Geale says. “I think every cricketing nation acknowledges that. And the timing of that World Cup next year is really important. Speaking for everyone, we’re not here to take on MLB [Major League Baseball] or any other sport. But I think the growth progression for the sport is really strong.”The league is owned privately by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), rather than by USA Cricket, and effectively operates as a start-up. “It’s privately funded by people who see the vision,” Geale says. “There’s a lot of high-profile businessmen who are privately invested.” They have already staged two editions of Minor League Cricket, which is positioned as a developmental league.”I’ve said it from the very start: if this is going to work in the USA – after so many false starts – then the cricket has to be good,” Geale says. “Our philosophy for MLC was to try and get some of the best players in the world here, and we’re combining that with domestic players who were either born here or have relocated and set up their lives here over the last three years.”Grand Prairie Stadium was reopened as a cricket venue at a ceremony on Tuesday•Major League CricketThis year, fixtures will be split between Grand Prairie in Dallas (12 matches) and Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina (seven matches); in future, all six franchises plan to have a home stadium, which would enable the league to be played under a full home-and-away format. Geale is hopeful that both venues will be conducive to quality cricket: “We’ve done all we can.”Will anyone actually watch it? There are plenty of tickets available for most games but the opening night is sold out and Geale says that sales are “tracking a little ahead” of expectations. Major broadcasters around the world will show it, though start times do not lend themselves favourably to viewers in the subcontinent.”My genuine hope is that in the first couple of days, everyone can see it’s good fun, it has good cricket and we can really drag some more people in,” Geale says. “But we’re really focusing on engaging local leagues here and local people within the Dallas and Houston regions, which can be a real hotbed of cricket in this country.”

“We’re pretty happy to have the guys [from Pakistan] here and I think the fans here are too. There’s a huge amount of Pakistan fans over here, and they want to see their heroes. I hope that continues in the future”Justin Geale

A significant obstacle is the heat: it is mid-summer, and temperatures will be high throughout the tournament. The flip-side is that MLC has found a window in the calendar that is relatively clear, only clashing with a handful of Test series. “I wouldn’t love to be starting a T20 tournament around Christmas time,” Geale says.The result is that some of the best players in the world have arrived in the USA – including a handful of active Pakistan players in Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Imad Wasim. “The guys don’t play in the IPL, and there’s all sorts of reasons and politics around that,” Geale says. “Whereas in the USA, we have the opportunity: it’s based on freedom over here.”We really want to be a league that is open to everyone: if you’re good enough and you want to play, come and play. We’re pretty happy to have the guys here and I think the fans here are too. There’s a huge amount of Pakistan fans over here, and they want to see their heroes. I hope that continues in the future.”4:02

Jayawardene: The MLC will add more traction to cricket in the USA

The relationship between MLC and USA Cricket has not always been smooth. There was a delay in MLC obtaining official sanction from the governing body earlier this year, but Geale insists, “It’s in our interests to get along. We are absolutely working together on this.”MLC has a liberal attitude to the definition of a “domestic player”, with Corey Anderson, Liam Plunkett and Dane Piedt among those classed as locals. But Geale admits, “If this is going to be a sustainable, long-term project then it needs to have American players as well. They need to be part of it.”USA went winless at the recent men’s ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe, suggesting there is some way to go yet. And with the ICC set to introduce caps on the number of overseas players permitted per XI in franchise leagues, MLC – in which teams can field up to six this year – needs more domestic talent, which it hopes will emerge in the long term if the league is a success.What does success look like in MLC’s first season? “We’re in for the long haul, and this season is about proving we can do it,” Geale says. Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, it will start to become clear whether or not cricket’s American dream can become a reality.

Under fire: How did Australia's attack fare during extraordinary Ashes?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The economy rates were eye-watering but Pat Cummins and co did produce key spells to help retain the urn

Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-2023The Ashes remain in Australia’s hands, but over the five Tests their attack has come under a sustained bombardment like nothing they have felt before. They were under pressure from ball one of the series when Zak Crawley drove through the covers at Edgbaston. None of the frontline bowlers will finish with an economy rate of less than four an over, while overall it’s comfortably the least maidens Australia have managed in a series of at least five matches.To their credit, they have had only one innings where things completely blew out – when England piled up 592 at Old Trafford – and they were able to make inroads often enough in the first two Tests to take the 2-0 lead that ultimately has proved the difference in the series. At times they have responded to the pressure well, but England have also held the upper hand for significant stretches, particularly in the latter part of the series, which has left Australia chasing their tails.Related

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With only one more wicket to take, should England decide to bat on at The Oval, here’s a look over how Australia’s bowlers have fared over the five Tests.

Mitchell Starc (23 wickets at 26.82, economy 4.85)

After the 2019 series where he played just one Test, this has been a significant success story for Starc. He was again omitted for the opening game at Edgbaston but since then has been ever present, fighting a shoulder injury to complete the series at The Oval. Four years ago he tried to buy into the team philosophy of bowling dry, but economy rates were always likely to skewed in this series and that worked to Starc’s strength of being a strike bowler. He was particularly impressive at Lord’s and Headingley, but saved one of his best deliveries for the final Test when he cleaned up Ben Stokes with a late-swinging beauty.

Pat Cummins (18 wickets at 37.72, economy 4.27)

At times he was the usual irrepressible Cummins, notably the second innings at Edgbaston and Lord’s (where he produced one of the balls of the series to remove Harry Brook) and, largely, the first innings at Headingley. In a sign of his durability, having played all six Tests on the trip, he saved one of his best spells for the opening day at The Oval, which only earned him one wicket. However, at Old Trafford he suffered the worst outing of his career where captaincy and bowling challenges collided and rarely has he had the sustained pressure on the batters he is so accustomed to. In the latter two Tests of the series, he has (with one wicket left) managed just three at 91.33 and gone for more than five an over. Often, because of deep-set fields, England have been able to rotate the strike against his natural good length by dropping and running into the off side. His average is comfortably the highest where he has played at least three matches in a series.

Josh Hazlewood (16 wickets at 31.68, economy 4.56)

Before the series, after being ruled out of the World Test Championship final against India, Hazlewood said that playing three Ashes Tests would be minimum for him to be satisfied after a stop-start two years due to injury. In the end he managed four, being rotated out for Headingley, and at times has been able to produce threatening spells. He had a big impact on the final day at Lord’s, claiming Ben Duckett and then the vital wicket of Ben Stokes to end his stunning 155. The delivery to remove Brook on the third day at The Oval was trademark Hazlewood, lifting and nipping away on off stump, but sometimes there was a feeling of a bowler who may have passed his peak. Or perhaps that was just the Bazball effect.

Scott Boland (2 wickets at 115.50, economy 4.91)

Boland entered the series on the back of an outstanding showing in the WTC final – at which point he had 33 wickets at 14.57 from eight Tests – but the Ashes proved a tougher prospect as England embarked what appeared a calculated approach to take him down in the opening Test where he conceded 5.65 an over. The one moment he looked really threatening was under the lights on the third evening at Edgbaston and he bowled better than a wicketless return at Headingley would suggest.

Todd Murphy (6 wickets at 30.16, economy 4.82)

Murphy has had huge shoes to fill after the injury to Nathan Lyon and only really in his final bowling innings of the series had a chance to get into his work. He was hit by a Stokes onslaught at Headingley (but did get him out) and was only used for two overs in England’s chase. Then, for first time in 11 years, Australia went without a specialist spinner at Old Trafford. Recalled at The Oval, he has shown his mettle and produced a ripping delivery, aided by some low bounce, to remove Joe Root.

Mitchell Marsh (3 wickets at 55.66, economy 4.91)

He did a handy job at Headingley on his recall where his nipping outswingers twice removed Zak Crawley. It was a surprise he did not bowl to Crawley at Old Trafford until he had 112. At The Oval he has largely managed to hold his economy as well as anyone. In the allrounder debate that looks set to follow for the Test team, the question could be how his body can sustain the workload.

Cameron Green (5 wickets at 47.00, economy 5.14)

Green was a willing participant in the short-ball plan at Lord’s after the attack lost Lyon and was the first bowler to, marginally at least, slow England’s rampant scoring at Old Trafford. The fact England’s innings have not extended for too long has reduced the need for the fifth bowler.

Nathan Lyon (9 wickets at 29.33, economy 4.00)

Lyon limping off the ground at Lord’s, in his 100th consecutive Test, felt like a huge moment. Without two days of rain in Manchester, it might have been Ashes defining. He had been superb at Edgbaston, holding his nerve against England’s aggression, and defeating Root in the second innings was a key dismissal. Australia will hope they are several years away from having to replace him permanently, but this was a window into the size of that task.

When David Miller is comfortable with his hitting, he's not going to stop

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

He has been prolific lower in the order over the last four years. Can he help take South Africa to their first title?

Danyal Rasool02-Oct-2023Few would look at an innings of 82 not out off 45 balls and think it played second fiddle to another knock in a game, but when David Miller walked off unbeaten at the end of South Africa’s 50 overs in Centurion earlier this month, all the applause was focused on Heinrich Klaasen’s freakish 174 off 83 balls, which took his side to 416 against Australia.Two days later, Miller scored another half-century, 63 off 65, as South Africa posted 315 and sealed the series 3-2. Once more, his innings was overshadowed – by Aiden Markram’s 93 and Marco Jansen’s all-round heroics.As the most experienced player in South Africa’s ODI World Cup squad, Miller really shouldn’t be flying under the radar ahead of what will likely be his last tilt at the title. His ice-cool exterior on the field is in evidence during our interview earlier this year. Sitting in a deck chair by the pool of a luxury hotel, Miller looks relaxed, but when he starts talking about this current South Africa side, he leans forward, the excitement almost palpable in his voice.Related

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No, he doesn’t mind if he isn’t the centre of attention. “We’ve actually got a world-class top six,” he says. “Quinton de Kock has that power up top, Aiden Markram strikes easy boundaries, Rassie [van der Dussen] can literally destroy the opposition, Klaasen… we’ve got a lot of power-hitters in the top six. I’m sure the coach would be open to moving me up one or two games, seeing how a game goes, but for now, I think we’ve pretty much got our structure and it seems to be working.”We’re talking at a time when Miller is in form, though, in fairness, that doesn’t really narrow it down much. His impressive run has extended across formats and seasons for so long now it’s less a purple patch than a sparkling late chapter in a career that feels like it has still got some ways to run. His vastly improved numbers in T20 cricket since 2021 have made him an even more coveted asset in the franchise league circuit, but his ODI rise in that time has bordered on the meteoric.Since July 2019, the start of this World Cup cycle, he averages just under 61 with a strike rate of 114.15; in the nine years before that period, his average was around 39 and strike rate a fraction over a run a ball. Miller has batted at No. 5 or lower in every one of his post-World Cup innings and yet he has been scoring his runs faster than ever, and scoring more of them.He accepts, somewhat reluctantly, what anyone who has watched him of late has believed for some time: this is a cricketer in his prime. But he’s keen to stress the value of his experience, which has enabled him to understand his game, as well as his abilities.”I’ve been around for a long time,” he says. “I do love what I do – I think that’s very important. When you go through tough times, it gets you through. But I feel like I am in my prime; I have been for the last four years, and I’m playing really good cricket. And as long as I can keep my body fit and healthy, I can play.

“I wouldn’t say it’s harder [to pace your innings lower down the order]. I have understood my game a lot better as I’ve gone on – about when to pull the trigger. Nowadays guys are taking on bowlers a lot earlier. The game has evolved so quickly. I still feel like there’s space for taking your time, summing up the situation. You might need six an over on a tricky wicket and have to finish the job. It’s just about understanding what’s in front of you, as opposed to a completely different situation. Where you need 12 an over and have to kind of go straightaway. I feel when I’m really comfortable, I’m not going to stop. It’s just about getting myself into that mindset.”Miller finds himself in that mindset more and more often, and stays in it longer. Since the last World Cup, no one who bats at No. 5 or lower comes anywhere close to his batting average, and only Klassen surpasses his strike rate. Eleven of Miller’s 27 innings have been half-centuries; no other batter in his situation comes close to matching that consistency. Pair that with his fearsome power and there’s perhaps no batter in ODI cricket who offers such middle-order potency.”It’s difficult to explain why [I have success with power-hitting], but I always believe when I’m batting that the bowler panics before the batter. I just have to stay nice and calm and wait for the ball to be in my area, making sure I’m putting it away. If I do so, I do feel the bowler changes their plans quite quickly. Even to our bowlers, [my advice] often is to just keep it simple and stick to their plan a little bit longer as opposed to changing it quite quickly.”Just like Miller, though, South Africa have rarely had ODI problems between World Cup cycles, but rather at the tournaments themselves. In the last four years Miller’s numbers may have soared, but at the 2019 World Cup, clad in a pale imitation of the resplendent green South Africa generally sports, he and the team were pale imitations of the quality they serve up in bilateral series. Miller managed only 136 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 86, and South Africa were eliminated after winning only one of their first seven games.”I believe we’ve got a great team. It’s just about making sure that we’re switched on as a team. You do need luck in certain games along a journey. But I’d never say it’s a chokers kind of situation”•Steve Bardens/AFP/Getty ImagesThe word that must not be spoken hangs heavy in the air. Even the light breeze that stirs the surface of the swimming pool seems to have subsided. We sit staring across from one another, each knowing what the other is about to say. Then, with a resigned sigh, Miller rips the band-aid off.”I genuinely believe that we’re not chokers,” he says. “How that tag affects people is an individual thing, but it’s never, ever bothered me. I’m honestly not just saying that.”Obviously there’s been history and there’s been games that we’ve not played well in that have let us down. But I would never say the ‘chokers’ tag applies to us, although that’s what everyone says. I’ve never really believed that at all.”I believe we’ve got a great team. At the end of the day, cricket is cricket and you can lose games from nowhere outside of the World Cup. Upsets are part of the game. It’s just about making sure that we’re switched on as a team. You do need luck in certain games along a journey. But I’d never say it’s a chokers kind of situation.”In 11 World Cup innings, across 2015 and 2019, Miller has 460 runs at a strike rate of 118•Getty ImagesStill, it’s undeniable that South Africa have an ageing batting line-up. Markram is the only specialist batter in the side under 30, while Quinton de Kock, who is 30, announced he was retiring from ODIs after the World Cup to “top up” his T20 franchise earnings.Miller himself, 34, doesn’t look like he’ll be walking away from South Africa soon, though, even as the T20 offers have continued to pile in.”It is a demanding sport, but I really do love playing cricket. I love playing for my country; that’s my priority. That has never wavered, not at all. Doing well for my country opens up opportunities outside around the world. As long as I’m staying relevant and doing my trade really well for South Africa, it keeps me in demand outside of South Africa. Whatever the case, my priority is South Africa. I suppose it can be demanding, but as long as I’m mentally in tune as to where my movements are and what I need to do, then I’ll stick to it.”With South Africa co-hosting the 2027 ODI World Cup, it’s hard to rule out Miller, at 38, taking another stab at it. For now, the man who missed out on South Africa’s final squad for the 2011 World Cup has unfinished business in India.

Is Mohammed Shami's 24 wickets in the 2023 World Cup a record?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

And has anyone been Player of the Match in the semi-final and the final like Travis Head?

Steven Lynch21-Nov-2023Travis Head was the Player of the Match in both the World Cup final and the semi. Has anyone done this before? asked Chris Georgiou from Australia

Australia’s trump card Travis Head was Player of the Match in the semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata, and also in the final against India in Ahmedabad. This double has actually been achieved three times previously. In 1983, India’s Mohinder Amarnath won the award in the semi-final against England at Old Trafford and the final against West Indies at Lord’s.In 1996, Aravinda de Silva of Sri Lanka won it in the semi-final against India in Kolkata and the final against Australia in Lahore. And in 1999, the one and only Shane Warne picked up the award in the thrilling semi-final tie against South Africa at Edgbaston and in the final against Pakistan at Lord’s.Warne was also Man of the Match in the 1996 semi-final, against West Indies in Mohali.Mohammed Shami took 24 wickets in this World Cup – was this a record? asked Ahmed Kashif from India

Mohammed Shami finished the 2023 World Cup as the leading wicket-taker with 24, one more than Australia’s Adam Zampa. Looking back at previous tournaments, two Australians lead the way: Mitchell Starc collected 27 wickets in England in 2019, while Glenn McGrath had 26 in the West Indies in 2007. But Starc played ten matches and McGrath 11 – Shami only had seven.Chaminda Vaas (2003), Muthiah Muralidaran (2007) and Shaun Tait 2007) all took 23 wickets in a single World Cup.Shami’s 7 for 57 in the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai were the best bowling figures in a World Cup knockout game (previously Gary Gilmour’s 6 for 14 for Australia vs England at Headingley in 1975), and the fifth-best in all World Cup matches.Starc, meanwhile, finished this tournament with 65 World Cup wickets, third overall behind McGrath (71) and Murali (68).Daryl Mitchell scored two centuries against India in the World Cup. Has anyone scored two against a single opponent before? asked Keth Parker from New Zealand

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell hit 130 in the group game against India in Dharamsala, and added 134 in the semi-final in Mumbai. The only man before this to score two separate centuries against the same opposition in a single World Cup was Sourav Ganguly in 2003, with 107 not out in India’s group game against Kenya in Cape Town, and 111 not out in the semi-final in Durban.In the 1988 Women’s World Cup, when the teams met each other twice in the group stage, Australia’s Ruth Buckstein scored 100 in Perth and 105 not out in Melbourne in their matches against Netherlands. In 2022, Nat Sciver-Brunt hit 109 not out in England’s group game against Australia in Hamilton, and an undefeated 148 in the final in Christchurch. Both came in vain, as England lost both matches.Daryl Mitchell is the only other men’s player to score two hundreds against the same opposition in one World Cup after Sourav Ganguly•Getty ImagesHas any bowler taken 100 wickets in one-day internationals on a single ground? asked Mohit Gupta from India

Three men have managed 100 or more wickets at a single ground in ODIs. Shakib Al Hasan leads the way with 131 at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, while the Pakistan pace pair of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis took 122 and 114 wickets respectively in Sharjah.Another Bangladeshi, Mashrafe Mortaza, took 94 wickets in ODIs in Mirpur. No one else is terribly close to three figures: Murali took 82 in Sharjah, and 75 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.I believe Alastair Cook has scored the most Test runs as an opener. But who has scored the most at No. 3? asked David McLaren from Scotland

You’re right that England’s Alastair Cook scored the most runs from the top of the order in Tests – 11,845 in all (counting innings from No. 1 or No. 2 in the order). Sunil Gavaskar is next with 9607, and Graeme Smith third with 9030.Leading the way at No. 3 in Tests is Kumar Sangakkara with 11,669, not far ahead of Rahul Dravid with 10,524; Ricky Ponting is third with 9904. In eighth place is Don Bradman, whose 5078 runs from No. 3 came at an average of 103.63.For that list, click here. If you want to check the highest scorers from the other places in the batting order, use that last link, press “Return to query menu”, and change the number in “Batting position” to the one you want.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Shivam Dube is an elite spin-hitter, and he's improving against the short ball

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The two-bouncer rule has presented a distinct challenge, but he seems to be finding a way

Deivarayan Muthu27-Mar-20242:42

Rapid Fire: Was Rachin the steal of the auction? Why so much pace at Chepauk?

Chennai boy and Tamil Nadu captain R Sai Kishore had just silenced 33,400 Chennai Super Kings fans at Chepauk, having Ajinkya Rahane stumped. He had bowled 2.1 overs without conceding a boundary, and his figures read 1 for 13.Shivam Dube, though, needed just two balls to turn up the tempo and rekindle the noise, whacking both for sixes. The decibel level zoomed up to 127. It won’t go that high even for MS Dhoni’s diving catch later in the night.The two sixes amply demonstrated Dube’s threat against spin. First, Sai Kishore darted one full and outside off stump from left-arm over, and Dube dropped down on one knee to slog-sweep him over long-on. Sai Kishore immediately switched his angle of attack and went around the wicket, and tried to slant the ball away from Dube’s hitting arc. He still used his reach, however, and crunched the left-arm fingerspinner over midwicket for an even bigger six, taking the shot on even with three fielders back on the leg-side boundary.Related

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Just like that, Sai Kishore, who had topped the wickets charts in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Ranji Trophy, had been dumped out of the attack. And having taken down one of India’s best domestic spinners, Dube pressed on to line up Rashid Khan, one of the world’s best spinners, launching him over long-on for another six. It was the wrong’un, but it didn’t matter. Dube can also mess with spinners who take the ball away from him.He had faced only ten balls, and he was already on 24.Since snapping him up at the IPL 2022 auction, CSK have used Dube as a super-specialist against spin. His strike rate of 162.56 against spin is the best among Indian batters since IPL 2022. Among all batters, only Heinrich Klaasen (192.85) and Glenn Maxwell (176.56) have done better in this period.Dube’s tall frame, big reach and brute power have put him among the elite IPL six-hitters in recent times. Since 2022, only Jos Buttler (59) has hit more sixes than his 57, while Andre Russell and Liam Livingstone are level with him.Dube, though, has his limitations: he is vulnerable against pace and more specifically express pace. CSK have found a way to minimise those limitations by deploying him through the middle overs, where most teams tend not to bowl too many overs of out-and-out pace. However, the two-bouncer-per-over rule, which was introduced this season, has presented him with a new challenge.ESPNcricinfo LtdSoon after Dube had walked out to bat in the season-opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Faf du Plessis had matched Alzarri Joseph up with him. Even Cameron Green dug the ball into the pitch and got it to climb towards Dube’s throat. Around the same time, Dale Steyn posted on X ( formerly Twitter): “Short ball tactic is already showing who can and who can’t… Gana be a long IPL for some batters.”Dube just about survived that short-ball burst from Joseph and saw CSK home. On Tuesday, Spencer Johnson, the Australia quick who had floored Russell with a nasty bouncer last month, tried to rattle Dube with a similar ball. But Dube was ready for it, swivelling quickly on the back foot and hooking a shoulder-high delivery over long leg for six. At the other end, Mohit Sharma tested him with the slower short ball, but Dube coolly rode the bounce and steered it down between short fine leg and deep square leg for four more.All up, Dube scored 23 off 13 short or short-of-a-length balls from seamers on Tuesday. He finished with 51 off 23 balls at a strike rate of 221.73. Until about two years ago, Dube’s response to the bouncer was to duck out of the way or just fend it off. He has now levelled up to the extent that he now has more scoring – and defensive – options against the bouncer.”Definitely, I’ve worked in that way and it’s helping me,” Dube said after winning the Player-of-the-match award. “I know they will bowl short balls at me, [but] I’m ready for that. They [CSK team management] want me to do the same thing that I did today. They want me to go at a higher strike rate against the bowlers, so I’m trying that.”Michael Hussey, the CSK batting coach, credited Dube for understanding his weakness and taking steps to remedy it during the off-season.Shivam Dube has broadened his attacking range against the short ball•AFP/Getty Images”Well, you rewind to maybe one or two years ago, teams would come in and bowl a lot of short balls and he would either duck out of the way or defend. And that’s all he had until he got in and set and then he could maybe play some shots against it,” Hussey said at his post-match press conference.”Now the bowlers are still coming in with the same plan, but he’s been able to score off it as well and he’s been able to find boundaries, if he gets into the right position as well. So that’s a testament to the work that he’s put in behind the scenes and being ready for their plans. And now it’s, you know, back on the bowlers. What are they going to do? Now, are they going to continue with this plan, or will they go away from that? And try something else? We’ll have to wait and see, but I think a lot of credit needs to go to Dube for the amount of work that he’s put in against that particular ball.”Over the last six months or so, Dube’s levelled-up game has also brought him success in T20Is, with back-to-back half-centuries against Afghanistan in January showing what he can do on the international stage. Whether he keeps his place is a question India will need to answer as they tune up for the T20 World Cup, which kicks off on June 1 in the USA and the Caribbean.”I think it [his progress] will hold him in good stead for the [rest of the] IPL,” Hussey said. “But also if he gets opportunities for the country again in the future, I think it’ll hold him in great stead as well.”

Five Indians going into the WPL with T20 World Cup hopes

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

With the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year, and limited available spots in the India squad, the WPL could be the big chance for some to make heads turn

Sruthi Ravindranath21-Feb-2024S Meghana (Royal Challengers Bangalore)While India have their opening spots filled in the format, a good WPL outing could keep S Meghana in the fray as back-up for Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. Meghana last played for India in the women’s Asia Cup in 2022, where she opened alongside Shafali with Mandhana playing down the order. She was part of Gujarat Giants last year, where she played at No. 3 and had an average season, her highest score being 31 off 32 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore. She was bought for her base price of INR 30 lakh by RCB in the 2024 auction, but it remains to be seen if she will get a chance to open with Mandhana, considering the franchise also has Sophie Devine, who opened last season.Related

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Sneh Rana (Gujarat Giants)With spin-bowling allrounders likely to be in demand at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, the experienced Sneh Rana, an India regular in the other formats, will be looking to show off her all-round skills at the WPL. Last season, Rana was made the Giants captain after an injury to Beth Mooney, and she endured a rough time in her team’s poor season. She last played for India in T20Is at the World Cup in South Africa in early 2023, where she finished with 34 runs and six wickets in eight games. India already have an experienced allrounder Deepti Sharma in the side along with the likes of youngsters Amanjot Kaur and Shreyanka Patil – who have all been part of recent T20I series – but a strong WPL season could help Rana remain in contention.Yastika Bhatia (Mumbai Indians)Richa Ghosh’s excellent performances in the recent home season make her the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in the national side for now, which means Bhatia needs to have another season like the last to compete for a spot.She had a solid season with the bat at the last WPL, where she made three 40-plus scores in Mumbai’s title-winning campaign. A more consistent run this season – with a couple of higher scores – could tilt the scales in her favour. She had below-par performances in the last T20I series she played for India, against Bangladesh in 2023, but is a strong alternative who can bat long and score quickly, as she has shown over the years.Kiran Navgire showed glimpses of her big-hitting ability during the Eliminator last season•BCCIKiran Navgire (UP Warriorz)India need finishers in their white-ball squads. Navgire showed promise with her exploits in domestic cricket, but at the last WPL, she couldn’t quite pull it off, except in the Eliminator between UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians, where she showed what she was capable of, hitting four fours and three sixes in her 43 off 27 balls. But the big-hitter had a poor domestic season as well, where she made just 88 runs in six games for Maharashtra in the Senior Women’s T20 trophy.Warriorz coach Jon Lewis told ESPNcricinfo in December that Navgire had been “working very hard on her physical fitness during the off-season so she can be faster between the wickets”. It might be hard for the selectors to look past her if she brings her best hitting game along with some consistency to the WPL this season.Vrinda Dinesh (UP Warriorz)Vrinda Dinesh is just 22, hasn’t played international cricket yet, but has been all the talk ahead of WPL 2024. The top-order batter had teams tussling for her at the auction and was finally roped in by Warriorz for INR 1.3 crore.Karnataka’s Vrinda starred in the 2022-23 Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, finishing as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament – 477 from 11 innings at 47.70 – following which she impressed in the final of the ACC emerging tournament against Bangladesh in June last year, where she caught the attention of a few scouts.She also turned out for the India A side for the series against England in December. In the 2023-24 Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, she scored 211 runs at 154.01. India do have their top order in place in the format, but Vrinda could come into contention if she replicates what the likes of Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque did last season.

What is the highest T20 total when the team has been all out?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Also: which bowler has dismissed the most centurions?

Steven Lynch30-Apr-2024RCB were all out for 221 in a recent IPL match (and lost by a single run). Was this the highest T20 total where the team was all out? asked Pradip from India

Royal Challengers’ 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens last week was indeed the highest all-out total in any senior T20 game. The previous highest was Surrey’s 215 against Glamorgan in the T20 Blast at The Oval in May 2015, while the best in the IPL was KKR’s 210 against Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai in 2022.There have been two higher totals in one-run defeats in T20 matches: 248 for 4 by Central Districts against Otago (249 for 3) in New Plymouth in New Zealand’s Super Smash in December 2016, and India’s 244 for 4 against West Indies (245 for 6) in a T20I in Lauderhill in the United States four months earlier.Which visiting player has made the most Test hundreds in another country? asked Terry Sullivan from England

There’s a familiar name at the top of this list: Don Bradman made 11 Test centuries in England, in 19 matches, at an average of 102.84. Jack Hobbs made nine Test hundreds in Australia, while Wally Hammond had seven. Sunil Gavaskar made seven in the West Indies (in only 13 Tests), while Steve Smith and Steve Waugh have both made seven in England.Overall, Sachin Tendulkar made 29 Test centuries outside India, and Rahul Dravid 21; Jacques Kallis collected 20 outside South Africa. Only seven of Younis Khan’s 34 Test centuries were scored in Pakistan, but 11 of them came in “home” games staged in the UAE.Sachin Tendulkar has the most Test hundreds away from home – 29•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesI noticed that when England bowled Bangladesh out for 220 in 2016, Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque put on 170. Is that the biggest proportion of an innings by one partnership? asked Ashraful Haque from Bangladesh

That partnership of 170 between Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque in Mirpur in October 2016 accounted for 77.27% of the total of 220. There’s only one partnership that made up a higher percentage than that in a completed Test innings: in Durban in December 2000, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene put on 168 for the third wicket but Sri Lanka were all out for 216 – so the partnership percentage was 77.78%.There have been several higher percentages in all first-class cricket. Top of the list reveals a staggering collapse: at Lord’s in 1960, Leicestershire were 196 for 0 after a splendid stand between Maurice Hallam and Willie Watson – but they were all out not long afterwards for 214 (the England fast bowler Alan Moss had a spell of 5 for 6). The opening partnership therefore accounted for 91.59% of the total.Which bowler has dismissed most centurions, in each of the three international formats? asked Ganesh Virudaghiri from India

In Tests, unsurprisingly perhaps, the top wicket-taker leads the way: Muthiah Muralidaran dismissed 34 batters after they had reached 100, not far ahead of James Anderson with 32. Next come the Indians Harbhajan Singh (28) and Anil Kumble (25), with Stuart Broad and Zaheer Khan on 24.A different Indian leads the way in one-day internationals: Mohammed Shami has dismissed 15 century-makers, Mashrafe Mortaza 12, Lasith Malinga 11 and Tim Southee 10. In T20I, Lizaad Williams of South Africa (who has so far taken only 16 wickets in all) and Bangladesh’s Abdur Razzak have both dismissed two. Overall, Murali dismissed 42 century-makers in all internationals, Anderson and Harbhajan 35, Kumble 32 and Broad 31. Anderson may yet add to his total.Brian Lara scored 221 and 130 against Sri Lanka back in 2001, but still lost – was that the highest aggregate in a losing cause? asked Vidula Wijesirinarayana from Sri Lanka

The great West Indian Brian Lara amassed 351 runs in that match in Colombo in November-December 2001, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Sri Lanka winning by ten wickets. It is the record for the most runs in a Test defeat – but not by as much as you might expect: a few weeks before Lara’s feat, Andy Flower made 341 runs (142 and 199 not out) against South Africa in Harare, but Zimbabwe lost by nine wickets.The two left-handers broke the long-standing record of 303 runs, set by England’s Herbert Sutcliffe (176 and 127) in a defeat to Australia in Melbourne in 1925.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

When was the last time England took the field in a Test without Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad

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And who has the fastest T20I hundred for India by balls faced?

Steven Lynch23-Jul-2024England reached 50 in 4.2 overs at Trent Bridge, and Ben Duckett got there from just 32 balls. Were either of these fast starts a record? asked Chris Seargent from Australia
England’s rocket-powered start at Trent Bridge – they reached 50 in 4.2 overs, despite losing Zak Crawley for a duck – would appear to be the fastest any team has posted a half-century from the start of a Test. England got there in 4.3 overs in their second innings against South Africa at The Oval in 1994, thanks to Graham Gooch (29 off 16 balls) and Mike Atherton (20 off 14). Note that we don’t have ball-by-ball data for all Tests.Ben Duckett reached 50 at Trent Bridge in just 32 balls, the joint third-fastest half-century for England in Tests after Ian Botham, who got there in 28 against India in Delhi in 1981-82, and Jonny Bairstow, in 30 against New Zealand at Headingley in 2022. Botham also smacked a 32-ball fifty against New Zealand at The Oval in 1986.Duckett’s 50 came up in just 9.1 overs from the start of the match, which again seems to be a record (remember that we don’t have full data for all matches though). Charles Davis, the Melbourne statistician, tells me that Australia’s Justin Langer reached 50 after 9.4 overs against New Zealand in Hobart in 2001-02.England’s team at Trent Bridge had an unfamiliar look. When was the last time England took the field in a Test without Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad? asked Peter Huntley from England
The second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge was only the second time in 17 years that England had gone into a home Test without either Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad in the side. The run started in 2007: Anderson did not play in the four-Test series against West Indies in May and June, but he was back in July for the series against India, and then Broad made his debut in December against Sri Lanka in Colombo. After that, the only home Test in which either of them appeared until last week was the rain-affected draw against West Indies at Edgbaston in 2012. The pair did miss quite a few of England’s overseas Tests in this period.Abhishek Sharma hit a century in 46 balls against Zimbabwe recently. Was that India’s fastest in T20s? asked Aparna Mahendra from India
Abhishek Sharma followed a duck on his T20I debut, against Zimbabwe on July 6, with a round 100 in his second match, in Harare the following day.There have been two quicker centuries for India in T20Is, both scored against Sri Lanka. Suryakumar Yadav got there in 45 balls in Rajkot in January 2023, but Rohit Sharma needed only 35 deliveries to hurtle to three figures in Indore in December 2017. KL Rahul also scored a 46-ball century, against West Indies in Lauderhill (USA) in August 2016. For the list of the fastest centuries in T20 internationals – a table headed by a batter from Estonia – click here.Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball hundred is the fastest for India in T20Is, and joint fourth overall•BCCIWhich current county cricketer – an Australian international – is the son of an English tennis player who appeared at Wimbledon? asked Kyle McKenzie from Australia
The answer to this little mystery is the offspinning allrounder Chris Green, who has been playing for Lancashire. He was born in South Africa, but has played one T20I for Australia, against India in Raipur in December 2023.Green has played for various T20 franchises, and first-class cricket for New South Wales and Lancashire. He is no relation to the even taller Australian Test allrounder Cameron Green. His parents, Warren and Lisa, were both professional tennis players. Lisa Gould, as she was then, was one of five British women to reach the second round of the singles at Wimbledon in 1987, a number not matched until 2024, when five ladies made it through again.Unsurprisingly, Green was also a good tennis player in his youth, and eventually had to choose between his two sporting loves. “It was a very tough decision – I could never decide growing up,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2019. “I learnt to walk on a tennis court and then cricket came as a second passion. I think the challenge of individual sports, where you are actually isolated by yourself, can become a little bit consuming. I think I’m definitely more people- and team-oriented than individual-oriented.”Further to last week’s questions about the Lord’s Test and Jimmy Anderson’s farewell, how many people played Tests for longer than his 21 years? asked Jamie Banks from England
The Test career of Jimmy Anderson lasted from May 22, 2003 (against Zimbabwe at Lord’s) to July 12, 2024 (against West Indies, also at Lord’s). That’s a total span of 21 years 51 days, which gives Anderson the 12th-longest Test career of all. And his 188 Tests places him second by appearances, behind only Sachin Tendulkar’s 200.Tendulkar, whose Test career lasted 24 years and one day, is one of those above Anderson for longevity: leading the way is the Yorkshire and England allrounder Wilfred Rhodes, whose 58 Tests spanned almost 31 years, between June 1899 and April 1930.None of those with longer careers than Anderson bowled at any great pace, although Dave Nourse, whose Test career lasted almost 22 years, did occasionally take the new ball for South Africa – including in his last Test, at The Oval in 1924, when he was 45. Imran Khan, who was usually quicker than Anderson, played his first Test in June 1971 and his last in January 1992: he is one of is one of just 18 men who had Test careers longer than 20 years.The only woman whose Test career lasted longer than 20 years is the New Zealander Vera Burt (formerly Robinson). She played against Australia in March 1948 and England a year later, then was recalled after almost 20 years to play her third and final Test, against England in Wellington in February 1969.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Pope at ease with caretaker captaincy brief

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

England stand-in preparing to “do things my way” while still following Ben Stokes’ lead

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Aug-2024The blazer Ollie Pope will don for Wednesday’s toss at Emirates Old Trafford ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka was tailored when he became England vice-captain at the start of the 2023 summer.Since then, it has been travelling around with team manager Wayne Bentley, who measured it up initially. This week, it will finally come into Pope’s sartorial rotation. “Luckily it fits,” England’s 82nd men’s Test captain beamed. “I’ve not put on too much weight.”Like Stokes, Pope opted against a photoshoot in his new garms. Stokes has always been reticent to pose in it believing it gives off the impression of being above your players. Pope’s reasons, while similarly aligned, are as much to do with just getting on with the job at hand – regardless of how grand a job it may be.Related

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A country that has had six prime ministers in the last decade is about to see only its fourth Test captain in that time. But while Pope’s occupation of the role will be Liz Truss in length, he will seek to maintain a much healthier status quo.Nevertheless, it is a peculiar situation. When Stokes had his first taste of captaincy during the first Test of the 2020 Covid summer, Joe Root, absent for the birth of his second child, left a note on his peg saying “Do it your way”. This time, the “absentee” captain will be present throughout, on hand to advise on how best to do it the way it still be done.Stokes was in Monday morning’s huddle, stood opposite his stand-in as Pope addressed the group on the outfield ahead of training. As openly as this has all been handled, and as unavoidable as this situation is, it is hard not to shake the sense Pope is housesitting while the landlord takes on a peeping brief.”We’ve already spoken about this and he’s pretty clear that he wants me to go out and do my thing, my own way,” Pope said when asked if there was a danger of backseat captaincy from Stokes. Barring a high-profile entry to the ground on Monday dressed like an extra from Top Gun, Stokes will strive to be a peripheral figure so Pope can fashion his own path, even if it does need to lead to a previously agreed-upon destination.Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, heads out to bat in the nets•Getty ImagesThis, really, is the start of Pope’s journey as a leader. By his own recollection, he was never talked up as captaincy material during his rise through the systems of Cranleigh School, Surrey and England age-groups. Even the FEC (Future England Captain) tag often pinned on of his ilk was only bestowed upon him as an 18-year-old by a county team-mate. “I think Scott Borthwick was the first one to say it to me,” he recalled in his first captain’s press conference on Tuesday. “And I just shook it off.””It’s funny he’s remembered that,” Borthwick told ESPNcricinfo. The Durham captain’s stint at Surrey between 2016 and 2020 spanned the emergence and establishment of Pope. But what, exactly, during this period prompted Borthwick to dub Pope an “FEC” when more familiar observers had not?”The coach at the time, Michael Di Venuto, at the start or the end of the day, he used to almost pick on the youngsters; he used to say ‘give me your analysis of the day?’ or ‘what do you think the plans are’.”He used to pick on Popey quite a bit because I think he knew Popey’s knowledge of the game was really good for a young kid. He was encouraging him to speak in front of the group and to pass on his information. Diva could sense there was a leader in there.”And we had some big personalities in the side as well. It’s not easy as a young kid to give your opinion, and he did it with such assurance and maturity. His knowledge of the game was very, very good.”He spoke really well as a young kid in the dressing room. When a captain or a coach asks you for your opinion, sometimes you can second guess your opinion. Popey always had a good idea of [what had gone on in] the day. So, naturally, I would just call him ‘FEC’ and we’d joke about that.”Borthwick is bemused he was the first to label Pope as such. As it happens, Borthwick boasts a strong association with England Test captains having acted as Stokes’ best man. “The other one I called FEC was Jamie Smith,” he said. “But we can have that conversation in a few years.”

“He spoke really well as a young kid in the dressing room. When a captain or a coach asks you for your opinion, sometimes you can second guess your opinion. Popey always had a good idea of the day”Scott Borthwick on Pope as a future captain

Others at Surrey talk similarly of Pope. Even as a young upstart, he was always an independent thinker with a knack for sharp problem-solving. It is most evident in his batting, both in those formative years – specifically an exceptional 2018 summer which resulted in the first of those 46 Test caps – and his outrageous century in Hyderabad at the start of 2024. But it also comes through with his everyman qualities in the dressing room.That adaptation and feel for the game came to the fore during an eight-game stint as Surrey’s Vitality Blast captain earlier this summer, guiding them through to the knockout stages. “It’s a bit of a crash course,” said Pope of the experience.He was initially taken aback by the speed of decision-making required in the field, and was stung in his first outing against Hampshire when he had to operate with five in the ring for the final over because he had missed the cut-off time. He did not make that mistake again.”He did say it took a couple of games to get used to the pace a little bit because it is so fast-moving. But he was very relaxed,” said Smith, Pope’s Surrey and now England team-mate (and Borthwick’s other FEC).”He brought a great calmness to the group, which is never easy in T20 and especially at Surrey with the personnel you’ve got. It does feel like the game is moving at a thousand miles per hour, whether you are batting, bowling or fielding because of the quality there is.”He has great composure and I feel like he settled the side really nicely and brought along a good group that was very successful in the group stages.”Even with a caretaker brief, Pope has identified areas to influence. The performances of Mark Wood and Shoaib Bashir this summer are examples to him of the need to cultivate the right in-game environments to bring the best out of his new charges. “Since being vice [captain] I’ve watched Stokesy closely on the pitch, the way he’s managed his bowlers. That’s probably been the main thing for me, being aware that this opportunity might come about.”Going by the last two days, Pope has also seemingly handed short leg duties to moonlighting opener Dan Lawrence, who has been working on his close-catching. Like Stokes, Pope may seek to run the show from mid-off.”For me, I knew this day might come if Stokesy missed a game through injury or had something away from cricket. So, I’ve kind of prepared myself mentally for this and how I want to go about things on the pitch especially. I wouldn’t see it as a negative at all.”And yet, as Pope embarks on the job of a lifetime with such clarity, it is hard not to sympathise with him. Not only is this not “his” team, but it belongs to someone many regard as England’s greatest-ever captain – who, just like the rest of the world, will be watching on intently.Wednesday brings a unique, awkward pressure for Pope. And by the end of this series, we will find out if the blazer still fits.

Carey takes his chance to silence hostile Headingley

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Carey made a brilliant 74 in just his second match back since being dropped from the ODI side and his first match at Headingley since the hostile 2023 Ashes

Andrew McGlashan22-Sep-2024It was probably no surprise that the Headingley crowd noted Alex Carey’s arrival at the crease with a reception not dissimilar to last year, although they kept their shoes on this time.Fourteen months ago Carey arrived in Leeds as public enemy No. 1 after his (perfectly legal) part in Jonny Bairstow’s stumping at Lord’s. It was a difficult match for Carey who fell for 8 and 5; team-mates have since revealed their concern for him at the time, while Carey has spoken of the vital role his family played and also his anger that they were drawn into the abuse.”Look, it’s never nice hearing things spoken about yourself, but more importantly [I had an issue with] the personal attacks on my family,” he recently told the . “It was unwarranted and disappointing to see that.”A mid-September ODI provided much lower stakes than the heat of one of the most hotly contested Ashes series in recent memory, but Carey came away the winner in every sense on Saturday having played the defining hand in Australia’s 68-run win.Related

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“I was aware of it [the crowd] but it’s business as usual,” Carey said after being named Player of the Match. “As soon as you get into your routine you block out as much as you can and you start to get into your innings. I think [for] most batters, a lot of that noise disappears and you are quite focused, and that’s the position I like to get into. It’s one of those things, isn’t it. I think Smudge [Smith] gets it all the time, I was prepared to get it today. It happened. So fair play.”Carey forged a last-wicket stand of 49 with Josh Hazlewood which changed the complexion of the game, finishing with 74 off 67 balls in his first innings since the Test series against New Zealand in March – which, coincidently, finished with him playing a matchwinning hand with 98 not out in Christchurch. He had spent time with Los Angeles Knight Riders in MLC in July but didn’t get a game.

“I’ve sat on the bench the last little period for the Australian team in ODIs and it’s nice to get back out. An opportunity popped up; who knows how long I’ll last but it’s been great fun.”Alex Carey

And this was a match he wasn’t expected to be playing. Carey lost his ODI spot after one game of last year’s World Cup in India when Josh Inglis replaced him. Inglis is viewed as a key part of Australia’s white-ball future but picked up a quad injury in the second T20I against England and has sat out the start of the ODIs, creating the opportunity for Carey.Carey walked in on the back of Marnus Labuschagne’s wicket and soon saw Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell depart to leave Australia 161 for 6. He added a lively 55 with Aaron Hardie before three more quick wickets had the visitors 221 for 9 in the 37th over. Carey was on 32 off 29 balls and looking likely to be stranded. But he marshalled things superbly alongside Hazlewood, turning down singles until late in the over and picking his moments to find the boundary.”[It’s] probably the longest break I’ve had since I’ve played professional cricket and to spend that time with the family, two young kids, it brings a lot of energy back to you,” he said. “I’ve had a fair bit of time just to bat in the nets and I haven’t done that for a while. To get back into the game scenario is great. Although it’s been close to six months it doesn’t feel that long. Once you get out there and the competitive juices come back it feels like just the other day.”The situation required a bit of batting for a while and then the way Hoff stuck around, he does a great job at doing that.”Marsh felt Australia had been a little short with 270 but was delighted with how the team fought. “It really goes to show those little partnerships towards the back end with your tailenders are vitally important in days like today,” he said. “A real credit to Kez [Carey] coming back in and Hoff hanging around for a beautiful four not out.”Carey added to his impressive outing with a slick leg-side catch, diving full length to his left, that removed Liam Livingstone and left Hardie on a hat-trick. “Not a nice way to get out, but nice to be the keeper when you hold onto them,” he said.A few minutes earlier at the post-match presentation Carey was asked about potentially just keeping Inglis’ seat warm. “He’s a great young player, he showed that in T20 series’ earlier this tour,” he said. “I’ve sat on the bench the last little period for the Australian team in ODIs and it’s nice to get back out. An opportunity popped up; who knows how long I’ll last but it’s been great fun.”Probably a bit more fun than his last visit to Headingley.

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