All posts by n8rngtd.top

What was it Shakespeare said about a “thankless child”? Jason Gillespie would have reflected on Will Rhodes’ obduracy with a wry smile

Paul Edwards20-Sep-20181:38

Worcestershire relegated after Essex hammering

ScorecardSummer clings on in Sussex but the county’s thin hopes of promotion have been scattered on the blustery wind. Having arrived at the ground this morning sustained by the envision that they might challenge Warwickshire’s first innings 440 and then embarrass their visitors in the second half of the game, Ben Brown’s players eventually left the field with their opponents 238 runs to the good and all their wickets intact. A few hours earlier Kent had secured promotion and their match at Edgbaston next week seems certain to be a First Division title decider. The bad light that ended the cricket 13 overs early probably seemed rather fitting for home supporters.And it was grimly ironic that Will Rhodes, the player who helped make Warwickshire safe in this game, was recommended to his new county by the current Sussex coach, Jason Gillespie, who had been responsible for the all-rounder’s development when in a similar post at Headingley. Rhodes’ unbeaten 76 in Warwickshire’s second innings took his total of championship runs this season to 850 at an average of 42.5. As Yorkshire’s supporters sigh with relief at their own county’s survival in the First Division they may reflect how much easier that passage might have been had their batting been strengthened by Rhodes’ unflappable presence.Certainly the opener’s good footwork and thumping drives have been features of Warwickshire’s season and his unbroken first-wicket stand of 141 with Dom Sibley, their third century partnership in six innings, finally stamped on any notions Brown’s bowlers might have hatched of taking early wickets and inducing panic. Rhodes’ fearless batting – he slog-swept Danny Briggs for six in the twelfth over – confirmed he has made a success of leaving Yorkshire, the county he had represented since the age of ten. It is a trick few players manage to pull off. Gillespie, of course, will congratulate Rhodes and be pleased for him but he may also reflect on his praise with a wry smile. “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is / To have a thankless child” exclaims King Lear.Yet anyone who expected Sussex to subside in an unsightly heap once their promotion chances became fanciful underestimated the culture of enjoyment and achievement that Gillespie has encouraged at Hove. They also failed to allow for Brown’s competitive instincts and that is normally a grave oversight. This was proved in the first hour of the day’s play when he and David Wiese extended their sixth-wicket stand to 196. Brown’s method is quiet but it captures the attention. There are normally four taps of the bat in the crease, often in two sets of two, and then a firm crack of bat on ball even if the shot is defensive. Obduracy comes as standard.Wiese is hewn from similar rock and the pair looked secure until he was bowled by a ball from Chris Wright which nipped back but also kept low. He was seven short of what would have been a deserved century and his dismissal was crucial to Warwickshire’s progress. None of the remaining batsmen scored runs with Wiese’s unfussy ease and the hour’s cricket before lunch was characterised by close-set fields and a throttled run-rate.Immediately after lunch Jeetan Patel switched himself to the Sea End and this change proved decisive. A couple of sharpish off-spinners prompted Brown to push forward tentatively for a third and he edged an arm ball to Jonathan Trott at slip. He had made 99. Nearly but not quite. It seemed to sum up Sussex’s season. And home supporters had barely got over their misery at the dismissal of their skipper when Chris Jordan top edged a sweep off Patel to Ryan Sidebottom at backward square leg.With Tom Haines’ ankle ligament injury rendering him for the rest of this game, Joffra Archer and Ollie Robinson became their side’s last pair and Archer’s innings was ended on 16 when he edged a very rapid delivery from Olly Stone to second slip, where Sibley took an unnervingly good two-handed catch above his head. Sibley then trotted off to the pavilion with Rhodes and ten minutes later the pair strode out purposefully to begin what may be any team’s final innings at Hove this year.

Fifties from Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez had helped Pakistan put up 166 before the spinners derailed New Zealand’s chase

The Report by Danyal Rasool04-Nov-2018
Pakistan celebrate Glenn Phillips’ wicket•AFP

For all of ten glorious overs – and it was glorious, no matter who one supported – it seemed like Kane Williamson would single-handedly snap Pakistan’s T20I winning streak. With Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme dismissed early in a chase of 167, and the Powerplay almost over, this looked like a stroll for Pakistan. It ended up being every bit the stroll it appeared at that point, with Pakistan winning by 47 runs, but Williamson gave them an almighty scare in the middle. He smashed – caressed, really – 60 runs off 38 balls in a manner so classical you’d feel blessed to see it in a Test match. It wrested the advantage back in New Zealand’s favour, but once he holed out to long-on off Shadab Khan, the tourists went back to being the side they had looked before their captain had sprinkled his class over the contest. They lost their last eight wickets for 23 runs, and Pakistan had yet another well-deserved clean sweep to their name.This was not to be the close contest the first two games had been, even though New Zealand made an excellent start. Seth Rance found the sort of prodigious swing no bowler had managed all season, and Fakhar Zaman was particularly discomfited. Pakistan manged just 33 runs in the first six, with Zaman dismissed following an ugly hoick to the offside, ensuring the left-hander’s poor run in Asia continued.It was Babar Azam, inevitably, who got his side back on course. Needing 48 runs to overtake Virat Kohli to become the fastest to 1000 T20I runs, he began to take control of the overs immediately following the Powerplay, picking up the run rate alongside the in-form Mohammad Hafeez. Just as this pair had done for much of the T20I series against Australia, the pair was responsible for the bulk of the runs scored in the Pakistan innings, the partnership adding 96 off 64 deliveries. For the first time in six games, Pakistan knocked themselves out of the magnetic field that seems to hold them within the 145-160 range, a late flourish ensuring they set the tourists 167 to chase.Hafeez was the man they had to thank for that flourish, with the 38-year old seamlessly taking over once Babar was dismissed for 79. That is usually the point at which Pakistan innings have stuttered of late, but four boundaries in the following seven balls that New Zealand bowled to Hafeez and Shoaib Malik went for four. The momentum thus remained unequivocally with Pakistan, who carried it right throughout the innings.They held onto it at the change of innings, and struck New Zealand a hammer blow with the wicket of Colin Munro in the second over. Faheem Ashraf, who had borne the brunt of his belligerence in the previous match, knocked back his middle stump as Munro cleared his front leg, and the flying start he had provided to New Zealand in the first two games would have to be made up for elsewhere.With Glenn Phillips still struggling, and Colin de Grandhomme carelessly run out Williamson took up the responsibility. Never a big hitter, he was relentlessly inventive in the way he found his boundaries, from lapping the fast bowler over fine leg to delicate touches that beat third man. Even when he danced – and it really did look that graceful – down the wicket to loft the ball out of the ground, they looked more like drives than slogs. The only thing about him that looked like a modern T20 player was his strike rate.But with no support coming from the other end, it would require a one-man effort if New Zealand were to deny Pakistan a clean sweep. Once he was dismissed, Pakistan immediately reverted to being the side that beats the opposition into the ground, and they did that with devastating efficiency. Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim and debutant Waqas Maqsood each took two wickets in an over as they scorched their way through the middle and lower order, and within 25 balls of Williamson’s departure, the innings was over.That is what Pakistan have reduced oppositions to at the moment. Passages of ascendancy. The prospect of a team extending that passage to the point it becomes a match-winning one continues to remain elusive, as the home side cap another hugely successful year in the format; they have lost just two T20Is in 2018.What seems most predictable at the moment is arguably cricket’s most unpredictable side winning in the sport’s most unpredictable format. Who would have predicted that?

Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail summoned the spirits of what had made this Pakistan side so hard to beat on UAE soil

The Report by Danyal Rasool24-Nov-2018Stumps Haris Sohail drives•Getty Images

Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail summoned the spirits of what had made this Pakistan side so hard to beat on UAE soil, channelling it right through the middle session to take the wind out of New Zealand sails. After an opening session where the bowlers had bullied Pakistan for two hours, the pair’s obstinacy began to pay dividends as the pitch flattened out and the ball wore down. Spanning almost 61 overs and spread across all three sessions, the pair gritted out a 126-run partnership. It helped Pakistan end an attritional day at 207 for 4, the scoring rate of 2.30 suggestive of the toil archetypal to Tests in the UAE.The pair came together in the tenth over after New Zealand made short work of Pakistan’s openers with the new ball. Azhar was the more forceful of the two during the partnership, doing well to have unclouded his mind after the heartbreak of Abu Dhabi. But if one player in this Pakistan team can be counted upon to show mental fortitude, it is him. Making the most of an early reprieve, once he settled down he was close to impregnable. He used his feet well against the spinners; Ajaz Patel in particular was not allowed to settle. A glorious six over long-off off the man who had sealed New Zealand’s victory in the first innings would have felt like sweet revenge, if only a few days later than he really needed it.Haris’ effort at the other end was more attritional, though no less commendable. He found it harder to keep the runs ticking, but seems to have that invaluable trait of setting some store by his wicket. As such, he never appeared to be in danger of throwing it away as the pressure mounted, confident in seeing it through to the phase where the situation would be more fertile to quick runs. That time came, somewhat, in the final session but what was more important was he saw his side right through to stumps, looking almost comfortable against the second new ball even as Babar Azam at the other end was wobbling. 81 of 240 balls may not be on many highlight reels, but if you watch Test cricket in the UAE, chances are you’d look past the highlights, where you would find Haris towering over today’s proceedings.If it didn’t strike as characteristic of Pakistan to have gutsed out a partnership with discipline, rigour, and resoluteness in the post-Misbah era, the mode in which that Azhar-Haris partnership ended was despairingly, delightfully Pakistani. For 361 balls, New Zealand had toiled without reward, and Pakistan had dug deep showing scant concern for the run rate. But this marathon effort would end with a run-out, confusion between the hapless Azhar and Haris ending the former’s remarkable resistance just 19 runs from his first century since Misbah and Younis retired.Asad Shafiq’s dismissal was soft, typical, arguably, of the temperament that has held him back all through his career. A pointless slog against Patel to a ball he got nowhere near the pitch of caught his edge and found Neil Wagner at short third man, and until Babar’s adroit resistance, a surfeit of wickets was looking on the cards.In the morning session, Trent Boult had built the pressure while Colin de Grandhomme reaped the rewards. At the toss, which New Zealand lost, Williamson had made clear his desire to pad up first, but a miserly bowling effort from his side meant runs were tightly controlled as Pakistan battled merely to keep the visitors’ feet off their throats. Only 56 runs were scored in the whole of the first session as Pakistan lost both openers early on. Azhar and Haris had been able to fend off New Zealand from further denting Pakistan while the pitch still retained some moisture and the ball some shine.De Grandhomme was assisted capably by Boult, who gave nothing away from the other end while regularly hissing past both outside edge and the stumps. Mohammad Hafeez looked jittery and out-of-form as it was, but against Boult and de Grandhomme, he was effectively a walking wicket. The ever-unplugged bat and pad gap nearly brought about his downfall, and pokes outside off evinced edges. It was only a matter of time before one from de Grandhomme carried through – just – to Tom Latham, putting the 38-year-old out of his misery. With 66 runs from six innings since a hundred against Australia, Hafeez is once more reminiscent of the player Pakistan sought to move on from a few months ago.Imam-ul-Haq evoked memories – not in a nice, nostalgic way, mind you – of Imran Farhat in the Pakistan whites, nudging and flashing outside off just when the opening bowling pair were swinging it away from him. He was reprieved once as early as the fourth over, when he drove de Grandhomme on the up with no foot movement. It was just as well he had flashed hard; the ball flew to Latham, who had no time to react.It proved only a momentary stay of execution. Imam fell in exactly the same manner to the same bowler, who hung another one outside off stump. It was too much temptation for Imam to resist as he hung his bat out at it, leaving the rest to a very busy Latham at the slips.That Azhar and Haris had managed to hold New Zealand off before lunch seemed pivotal at the time, and with both of them continuing the resistance right the way through to the final session, it could be one of the lessons they gleaned from the agony of Abu Dhabi. The coach Mickey Arthur had lamented Pakistan’s failure to press home the advantage with the bat. So far, it looks as if Azhar and Haris had been listening intently.

The South Africa allrounder remains tied to the game having signed on as a coaching consultant for Namibia

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2019Albie Morkel, the South Africa and Titans allrounder, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Wednesday, ending a professional career that has spanned nearly 20 years.Morkel played one Test, 58 ODIs and 50 T20Is for his country, scoring 1412 runs and picking up 77 wickets across formats. He was an especially effective force in short-form cricket, both at home and abroad. He was an IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings – his 91 wickets making him the third-highest wicket-taker for the franchise – and he captained the Titans to a hat-trick of T20 titles from 2015-16 to 2017-18. So effective was he with his big-hitting abilities and canny medium-pace that he was brought into the South Africa squad for the World T20 in 2014 after he publicly admitted that his international career was over.The next step of his career takes Morkel to Namibia, with whom he has signed a contract to work as a coaching consultant starting January 2019.
“Time has run out for me on the cricket field, and I would like to announce my retirement from the game.” Morkel said in a Titans press release. “The last 20 years of my life took me on an incredible journey, with so many awesome memories that I will cherish forever.”Titans’ chief executive officer Dr Jacques Faul said plans for a farewell match were being put in place. “He deserves a send-off, and also a chance for the Titans fans to say a fond farewell. It wasn’t just for Titans that he was a massive player, because he also served the Proteas with distinction.”Morkel, who began his domestic career in the 1999-2000 season and graduated to international cricket in 2004, represented eight teams – CSK, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rising Pune Supergiant, Derbyshire, Durham, Somerset and St Lucia Zouks – outside of South Africa and the Titans.”I would like to thank Jacques Faul and everyone involved at the Titans for giving me the opportunity to live my dream,” he said. “The squad is in a healthy state and I’m looking forward to seeing the progress that the younger players will make. I will forever be a big Titans fan.”” I want to say a big thanks to Cricket South Africa, because it was a huge honour to represent my country. Thank you to my family, friends, supporters and sponsors who were there for me through thick and thin, and most importantly my wife who played an unbelievable supporting role, allowing me to do what I love.”Professional sport can be a ruthless space to operate in, and it’s impossible to do it without a solid support system. Thank you so much.”
Morkel has committed himself to a Titans tour later this year before “enjoying the game from the other side of the rope”. His brother Morne had retired from international cricket last year, although he is still active as a Kolpak player for Surrey in the English county circuit.

The Australia batsman has overcome a knee injury sustained in the UAE to be ready for the opening Test against India in Adelaide but had already embarked on his enhanced fitness regime

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2018Usman Khawaja has taken inspiration from NBA star LeBron James to get himself into peak physical condition for the demands of Test cricket.Khawaja has overcome a knee injury sustained in the UAE to be ready for the opening Test against India in Adelaide but had already embarked on his enhanced fitness regime.James is 33 and Khawaja turns 32 later this month and has already felt the benefits of his hard work, which has seen him lose around 10kg, firstly during a spell in county cricket with Glamorgan then when forming his match-saving 141 against Pakistan in Dubai.”It wasn’t a thing where I was like ‘CA’s coming down on me telling me to lose weight and I have to do it or else I’m not playing’. It wasn’t Big Brother or anything,” he told RSN radio.”That was probably one part of my game and place that I wanted to work hard on and make sure I was in the right physical shape for international cricket. Training, playing, travelling. I don’t think people realise how much actually goes into the international schedule.””I just wanted to make sure that I was the best version of myself. One of my favourite athletes, LeBron James, does that as well as anyone else. I had a good Ashes campaign but I just felt like it was something I needed to work on at the time. I just started chipping away at it.”I was actually really surprised with how well I was pulling up after games. Losing weight doesn’t help you particularly score runs. It doesn’t make you a better batter. It’s about the other little things. Being in the field, recovering, running between the wickets.”The exact role Khawaja plays in the Test series against India remains to be confirmed with a decision still to be made over Australia’s opening combination. If Marcus Harris debuts alongside Aaron Finch then Khawaja will be moved down to No. 3, but coach Justin Langer has previously praised the performance of Finch and Khawaja in the UAE.Khawaja admitted he liked the role at first drop as it allows him to gather his thoughts after fielding, but he is more than content with whichever position he takes.”The only thing it affects is how fast I have to run off the field,” Khawaja said. “You only get 10 minutes as an opener, which is a pain in the a***. I love batting No. 3 because you often get a little rest, little breather, put your pads on nice and easy, watch the openers scurry off. But it doesn’t make a difference whatsoever.”

The opener was hit by a short delivery from Pat Cummins and stretched off the ground before going to hospital for tests which came back all clear

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Melinda Farrell02-Feb-2019Dimuth Karunaratne has been cleared to bat again after the fierce blow to the back of his head from a Pat Cummins short delivery which saw him stretchered off the field on the second day in Canberra and taken to hospital. Following assessments he was released on Saturday evening and then came through a concussion test before play resumed on Sunday.*”Dimuth will be at the ground and SLC has cleared him to bat. They have said said there are no concussion issues,” an update on Sunday morning said. The incident happened when, attempting to duck the bouncer in the fourth delivery of the 31st over, Karunaratne turned and tucked in his head. But the ball did not rise as high as he had expected, and struck him seemingly on the top of the shoulder, before hitting the area where his neck meets his skull.Dimuth was wearing a helmet with the rear attachments designed to shield a batsman’s neck, and though it was the equipment that the ball seemed to strike, he immediately collapsed backwards, losing grip of his bat. He lay still on the popping crease, as the Sri Lanka physio and the Australian team doctor rushed on to the field.Although clearly in immense discomfort, Dimuth was conscious throughout the episode, and was seen talking to the medical professionals assisting him. He also moved his hands and fingers.”It was a bit scary at the start, the way he fell back initially but he was okay, throughout he was talking to the umpires and the physio.” Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha said after the day’s play.The medical staff put a brace around his neck, transferred him gently on to a stretcher, then drove him off the field, with members of the Australia team showing concern, as well as Dimuth’s own team-mates. Australia captain Tim Paine and Cummins himself watched proceedings closely.”It’s never nice,” Kurtis Patterson said. “You never like seeing that, you want your fast bowlers to be aggressive and try to set them up to get the nick, but you never like it when players go down like that. I haven’t heard but I’m hoping he’s okay, hoping he can come out and bat again tomorrow. All of us were in a little bit of shock but I think everyone is okay, which is good, so hoping he’s okay to bat again tomorrow.”Dimuth is the fifth Sri Lanka player to suffer an injury on this brief tour, with four fast bowlers already having broken down. Dimuth had been batting well, on 46, when he was struck. His opening stand with Lahiru Thirimanne, worth 82, was Sri Lanka’s second-best first-wicket stand in Australia.*9.45amAEDT, Feb 3: Karunaratne’s status was updated after a statement from SLC

Will Rhodes joins Warwickshire opening partner in team for county curtain raiser against Surrey

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2019Dominic Sibley will be chasing a fourth century in as many first-class matches when he faces his former club, Surrey, as part of the MCC XI in next month’s Champion County Match in Dubai.Sibley scored 106, 144 not out and 119 in Warwickshire’s last three County Championship Division 2 matches in September 2018. He will be joined by Warwickshire opening partner Will Rhodes in the match at the ICC Global Cricket Academy on March 24.The MCC team, captained by Stuart Broad and finalised on Thursday, includes three players each from Essex and Somerset.Representing 2017 county champions Essex are batsmen Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence and right-arm seamer Sam Cook. It will be Westley’s second appearance in the traditional curtain raiser to the English county season after also playing for MCC in the 2009 fixture against Durham at Lord’s.Tom Abell, Dominic Bess and Peter Trego make up the Somerset contingent.Bess will be playing in his second Champion County Match after scoring a century at No.9 last season and taking eight wickets for the match. Somerset captain Abell scored 883 runs in the 2018 Championship.All-rounder Trego, who has played more than 200 first-class matches for Somerset, represented MCC on the tour to Argentina in 2008 and against Warwickshire in the Champion County Match of 2013.Worcestershire’s Ben Cox is MCC’s wicket-keeper for the match. He has been playing most recently for Otago Volts in New Zealand’s domestic T20 tournament and starred in the Worcestershire side which won its maiden Vitality Blast title last year.Lancashire left-arm spinner Stephen Parry completes the MCC team.MCC Assistant Secretary (Cricket) John Stephenson said: “This group boasts plenty of experience in county cricket and we are fortunate to have Stuart Broad to lead the team as captain. He will be able to pass on some of his knowledge to the younger players.”Surrey were undoubtedly the best team in the Specsavers County Championship last season so it will be a tough test, and the challenge for MCC will be to match the excellent victory over Essex in last year’s Champion County Match.”MCC X: Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire) – (capt), Tom Abell (Somerset), Dominic Sibley (Warwickshire), Tom Westley (Essex), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Will Rhodes (Warwickshire), Peter Trego (Somerset), Ben Cox (Worcestershire) – (wk), Dominic Bess (Somerset), Stephen Parry (Lancashire), Sam Cook (Essex)

Mumbai did end Chennai Super Kings’ run of wins, but they are missing Lasith Malinga, while Yuvraj Singh’s form is a worry

The Preview by Hemant Brar05-Apr-20194:43

Hodge: Worth giving Bumrah the new ball against Warner-Bairstow

Big picture

Like so often in the recent past, Sunrisers Hyderabad have started the IPL 2019 season as tournament favourites must; they did lose their first match, away against Kolkata Knight Riders, but have won their next three games – two of them at home – comprehensively.But unlike in previous years, this time it’s their batting – specifically the opening pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow – that has been the main reason for their success. The two have so far added 118, 110, 185 and 64 for the first wicket, which has firstly not left much for the middle-order batsmen to do and, at the same time, made up for the middle order’s failures. Key fact: Sunrisers are yet to lose a wicket in the Powerplay this season.Their bowling did seem a bit lacklustre in the first two games, but Mohammad Nabi’s inclusion has given it a lift. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, too, ended a poor, wicketless run with 2 for 27 against Delhi Capitals in the last game.

Form guide (most recent matches first)

Sunrisers: Beat Capitals by five wickets, beat Royal Challengers by 118 runs, beat Royals by five wickets, lost to Knight Riders by six wickets
Mumbai: Beat Super Kings by 37 runs, lost to Kings XI by eight wickets, beat Royal Challengers by six runs, lost to Capitals by 37 runs

Come Saturday, Sunrisers will be facing an upbeat Mumbai Indians, who ended Chennai Super Kings’ winning streak with a 37-run win. While two wins and two losses in the first four matches of the season would be an average start for a team, for Mumbai, the perennial slow starters, it might be like a kick-start.However, with Lasith Malinga having left to play the domestic Super Four Provincial Limited Over Tournament in Sri Lanka, Mumbai will be forced to make changes to their winning combination.

In the news

Kane Williamson has missed three out of the four matches so far because of a niggle. In his absence, Nabi has picked up 4 for 11 against Royal Challengers Bangalore and 2 for 21 against Capitals. Not to forget his unbeaten nine-ball 17, which took Sunrisers over the line against Capitals. Will Sunrisers leave Nabi out if Williamson is fit in time for Saturday’s game?Within 12 hours of taking 3 for 34 against Super Kings in Mumbai, Malinga was leading Galle, where he took 7 for 49 against Kandy in a domestic one-day tournament. With the seamer likely to stay in Sri Lanka till the tournament ends, Mumbai will have to look for an alternative.

Previous meeting

The last time these two sides met, back in April 2018, Mumbai were bowled out for 87 in a chase of 119 as Siddarth Kaul picked up 3 for 23, while Rashid Khan and Basil Thampi chipped in with two wickets each.Rashid Khan and David Warner share a light moment•BCCI

Likely XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Vijay Shankar, 4 Yusuf Pathan, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (capt), 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Siddarth KaulMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Yuvraj Singh/Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Jason Behrendorff, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan

Strategy punt

• It could be an interesting battle between Mumbai’s top order and Sandeep Sharma. Rohit Sharma has managed just 21 off 28 balls against Sandeep in T20s, while getting out twice to him, and Suryakumar Yadav has managed 17 off 16 with Sandeep getting his wicket twice as well.
• After scoring a 35-ball 53 against Capitals and a 12-ball 23 against Royal Challengers, Yuvraj Singh has struggled. Against Kings XI Punjab, he consumed 22 balls for his 18, while in the last match against Super Kings, he was out for 4 off six balls. Mumbai may ponder replacing him with Ishan Kishan.

Stats that matter

• Manish Pandey’s average of 23.31 since IPL 2018 is the worst among those who have faced at least 250 balls. This IPL, he has scored 19 runs from three innings while being dismissed twice.
• Since IPL 2016, when Rohit has faced 20-plus balls, Mumbai have won 79% of the matches. Their win percentage drops to 38 when he is dismissed under 20 balls.
• Jason Behrendorff’s economy of 6.5 in all T20s since 2017 is the best for any Mumbai bowler who has bowled at least 40 overs.
• Hardik Pandya has scored only a run-a-ball 77 against legspinners since IPL 2017.

New South Wales are happy to mix youth with experience keeping a stable squad for next season

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-20190:54

WATCH – Aus U-19 cricketer Davies hits six sixes in an over

Beaten Sheffield Shield finalists New South Wales have upgraded left-arm quicks Daniel Sams and Greg West to their contract list for 2019-20 as they continue to develop youth.The Blues have kept a fairly stable squad after falling just short of claiming the Shield against a dominant Victoria side.Sams, 26, has been rewarded after an excellent JLT Cup last season. He also made his Sheffield Shield debut playing two matches prior to the BBL break. West, 24, also impressed in his first two Sheffield Shield matches, taking five wickets against South Australia on debut and three against Victoria.New South Wales were keen to keep continuity within the squad that was revamped under new coach Phil Jaques last season. Teenagers Jack Edwards, Jason Sangha and Baxter Holt all debuted last season with Edwards and Sangha playing all 11 Shield games in order to fast-track their development as long-term players.”When you try to develop players, you want to give them an opportunity to do well,” Jaques said. “We obviously want to reward performance as well which we’ve done with the changes that we’ve made.”I think the long-term development of the core group of young guys is still, very, very important, as is the leadership that the [senior players] have shown over the last 12 months.”Young batsman Ollie Davies, 18, and wicketkeeper batsman Matt Gilkes, 19, have both been handed rookie contracts. Davies became the first player to make a double century in a 50-over match at the Australian Under-19 Championships last season while Gilkes made 51 on BBL debut for Sydney Thunder.New South Wales 2019-20 contract list Peter Nevill, Sean Abbott, Nick Bertus, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Daniel Fallins, Ryan Gibson, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Stephen O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Param Uppal, Greg West, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner Rookies Ryan Hackney, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Oliver Davies, Matt Gilkes, Chad Sammut

Kent captain suffers injury in opening over of Royal London Cup game in Cardiff

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2019Sam Billings could miss the rest of the season after being told the shoulder dislocation he suffered at Cardiff on Thursday will require surgery*. Kent have put his recovery timescale at “three-five months”.Billings’ return to action for Kent, having just flown back from India, lasted a matter of minutes. He was quickly ruled out of England duty, having been picked for an ODI in Dublin next week and the subsequent T20I against Pakistan, with Ben Foakes called up in his place.Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, revealed the extent of Billings’ injury with an update on Friday afternoon.”Sam has seen a specialist this morning, where he underwent a scan to assess the extent of his injury,” Donwton said. “The scan highlighted significant damage to his shoulder, meaning he will require surgical intervention. This surgery has been scheduled for next week and it is anticipated that he will be back to fitness within three-five months.”I know I speak for everyone at Kent when I say we really feel for Sam. To have picked up this kind of injury ahead of what was set to be an exciting summer is tough. However, I have no doubt that his dedicated professionalism and strong mindset, will see him working hard behind the scenes to return back to fitness as soon as possible.”Billings, the Kent captain, had returned to the team for his first county fixture of the season, against Glamorgan in the Royal London Cup, after completing his stint with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.However, he was hurt attempting to stop a shot in Harry Podmore’s first over of the match. In obvious pain, Billings was left prone on the outfield for several minutes, and was administered oxygen before being helped off the field.Kent later confirmed that he had been taken to hospital, where the shoulder was relocated, and returned to Sophia Gardens afterwards.Billings had not been included in England’s 15-man squad for next month’s World Cup, but was likely to be one of the batting reserves. England already have a number of injury concerns, particularly among their batsmen, as they build towards the World Cup opener against South Africa at The Oval on May 30.Jason Roy is missing for Surrey in the latest round of Royal London Cup games after suffering back spasms earlier this week, while Eoin Morgan also sat out the same fixture for Middlesex after complaining of sore shins before the toss.Kent’s other England selection, Joe Denly, was not included for the trip to Glamorgan after suffering a back spasm while batting against Gloucestershire on Tuesday.Alex Hales, meanwhile, has been put on indefinite leave by Nottinghamshire for personal reasons, but is expected to link up with the England squad for a pre-season training camp in Cardiff this weekend.*1530 GMT, April 26 – This story was updated with news of Billings’ scan results