All posts by n8rngtd.top

Head is just nine points behind the out-of-action Kane Williamson, and could become the new No. 1 by the end of the fourth Ashes Test

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2023Travis Head has kept up his consistent rise in the ICC Test batters’ rankings, getting to a career best No. 2 at the end of the Headingley Test against England, just nine points behind Kane Williamson.England’s batting stars in that Test, which they won by three wickets, were Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, and they moved up five places to 18th and one place to 12th respectively.With Williamson not having played Test cricket since March because of a right knee injury, Head has a chance of getting to the No. 1 spot by the end of the fourth Ashes Test, to be played at Old Trafford from July 19. He has already scored 266 runs in three Ashes Tests so far, 116 of them coming in the last one.

Full rankings tables

• Click here for the full team rankings

• Click here for the full player rankings

While Head sparkled, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Joe Root had below-par outings at Headingley, and that meant a drop in the rankings for them. All of them moved down one spot – Smith to fourth, Labuschagne to fifth, and Root to sixth – and made room for Babar Azam to get to No. 3.The Headingley Test wasn’t a high-scoring one, and that was down to some special bowling performances, especially from Mark Wood. Playing his first Test since December 2022, Wood picked up 5 for 34 and 2 for 66, winning the Player-of-the-Match award in the process, and rose nine spots to No. 26th. His colleague Stuart Broad put in a good show too, picking up five wickets. That took him up four places to sixth.For the Australians, Pat Cummins returned 6 for 91 in the first innings, while Mitchell Starc had 2 for 59 and 5 for 78. Cummins stayed at No. 2, not far behind the top-ranked R Ashwin, while Starc went up three positions to 11th.

Bottom club keep faint hopes alive despite career-best haul for Warwickshire seamer

ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2023 by 108 runsNorthamptonshire fought back hard after Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s career-best bowling put Warwickshire on top on the second day of their LV=Insurance County Championship tussle at Edgbaston.Hannon-Dalby’s superb seven for 46 sent the visitors all out for just 250 in a match they must win to preserve any realistic hopes of avoiding relegation.That total looks a little under par but Jack White (three for 37) then led a big-hearted effort from Northamptonshire’s bowlers who made the home batters work very hard to reach 142 for four from 55 overs in reply.The match remains in the balance on a pitch which has assisted the seamers throughout. Hannon-Dalby will be on a hat-trick in the second innings when he will be hunting the three wickets he needs to reach 100 in two seasons – he is now on 44 this year to add to last season’s 53.After resuming on the second morning on 200 for five, Northamptonshire lost two wickets to the new ball as Saif Zaib edged Hannon-Dalby behind and Lewis McManus’ 97-minute resistance for 25 was ended by an outswinger by Chris Rushworth.Hannon-Dalby then polished off the tail. Tom Taylor edged to second slip before Simon Kerrigan fell lbw and White played on next ball. When Northamptonshire bat again, for the third time in 27 days, Hannon-Dalby will start his next bowl on a hat trick.Warwickshire also found run-gathering an arduous business. Kraigg Brathwaite, on his home debut, eked nine from 58 minutes before edging a lifter from White. Rob Yates prised 23 from nearly two hours before slicing Luke Procter to second slip.Will Rhodes (44, 92 balls) produced the most assertive batting of the day before skying White to third man. Sam Hain, on his last county appearance of the season following his England call-up, collected a workmanlike 30 that is unlikely to figure in his memoirs then was trapped in front by the impressive White.Fifth-wicket pair Dan Mousley and Ed Barnard survived intact, albeit while adding to the considerable number of play-and-misses in this match, but a strong first hour tomorrow morning would pour belief into Northamptonshire’s bid for a great escape.

Theekshana and Axar’s injuries leave both teams with a problem to solve ahead of the big clash

Sreshth Shah16-Sep-20233:41

Manjrekar: A fit Iyer will have to wait his turn

Big picture: Watch out for spin and rain

The continent’s crown jewel is on the line, but the two teams fighting for it come into the final with different motivations. India have not lifted any multi-team trophy since their Asia Cup win in 2018, and are desperate to know how that feels. Sri Lanka, ODI ranking No. 8, want to drill it in that despite making the ODI World Cup only through the qualifiers, they are more than just dark horses.Hosts Sri Lanka possess the template to defeat India, because they very nearly did so last week. They had bowled India out for 213 – all ten wickets taken by spinners, including four by a part-time offspinner – and were favourites at the halfway stage. But their top-order let them down. Rattled by India’s pace, they could never really recover.With a slow, turning surface expected for Sunday, Sri Lanka’s best bet would be to follow that bowling plan, topped up with a better batting show. Going their way is a strong performance in a challenging chase against Pakistan in the virtual semi-final, but that was a batting-friendly surface. They will sorely miss the injured Maheesh Theekshana, a wicket-taking threat at every stage of an ODI innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India come into the final on the back of a defeat, but with key players resting for the Bangladesh game, that result may not be of much significance. Every batter in their first XI has at least one big score while their bowlers look in great rhythm. Their balance, though, will be tested with the allrounder Axar Patel also ruled out with a hamstring niggle.All that planning will matter for very little if the weather doesn’t hold up. A shortened match or a washout are both possible since weather forecasts predict rain on Sunday (and Monday, the reserve day).

Form guide

India LWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLWWW

In the spotlight: Mendis, Thakur and Washington

Kusal Mendis has been enjoying a purple patch as Sri Lanka’s No. 3. With 253 runs in five games, he is the second-highest run-scorer of the series and his three fifties have come in wins over Pakistan (91), Bangladesh (50), and Afghanistan (92). A good score against India – ideally a century having been dismissed in the nineties twice – is the only thing missing from his Asia Cup 2023 CV.Will Shardul Thakur or Washington Sundar be India’s No. 8? With Axar ruled out, India need to allocate his overs to someone else, preferably another spinner if the surface stays as expected. That makes Washington a favourite with his offbreaks a good match-up against Sri Lanka’s left-hand batters. But Washington only flew in from Bengaluru on Friday, and Shardul has been in Sri Lanka all along, making key contributions with the ball. India have an important call to make on match day.2:29

Can Sri Lanka cope without Theekshana in final?

Team news: Tilak in the final for India?

If India go with Thakur at No. 8, then Tilak Varma could be selected for his role as a third spin-bowling option.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Ishan Kishan/Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur/Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Jasprit BumrahFor Sri Lanka, legspinner Dushan Hemantha is the favourite to replace Theekshana. They could also bring in allrounder Sahan Arachchige, but Hemantha has stronger bowling credentials. Kusal Perera should keep his place in the XI.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 8 Dunith Wellalage, 9 Dushan Hemantha, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Kasun RajithaRelated

• Clinical meets chaos as India and Sri Lanka prepare to put on a show

• Dasun Shanaka cherishes 'amazing' fans as Sri Lanka seek back-to-back Asia Cup titles

• Charith Asalanka – SL's one-of-a-kind rescue package

• 'Playing it late and close to the body' – Gill puts his best feet forward

• SL's greatest hits: the five times they won the Asia Cup

Pitch and conditions: Plenty for the bowlers

This will be the sixth match in nine days at the R Premadasa Stadium, so a slow, turning surface is on the cards. However, the expected wet conditions could play a factor in how much the ball actually turns.

Stats and trivia: Win toss, bat first

• If Sri Lanka win, they will tie with India for the record of most (seven) Asia Cup titles.
• Only one bowler from a Full Member nation has taken as many wickets as Kuldeep Yadav (31) in 2023. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, it is the injured Theekshana.
• The team batting first has won five of the six games in Colombo at the 2023 Asia Cup.

Quotes

“Winning the [Asia Cup] final is very important for us because we need to create a winning habit. Peaking at the right time and gaining momentum at the right time is important.”
India batter Shubman Gill after Friday’s Super Four game against Bangladesh“The boys want to deliver for the country. As a team, we have been underdogs. Everyone wants to perform at the bigger stage and these youngsters need to show the world what they are capable of. That’s the secret of this young team.”

Allrounder agrees he’s not in Australia’s best side but won’t seek a rest after the World Cup as he tries to win back his Test spot

Alex Malcolm05-Nov-2023Cameron Green says he has no issues with being in and out of Australia’s World Cup side on form, but will not seek rest after the tournament as he confirmed he will play Sheffield Shield cricket for Western Australia and in the Prime Minister’s XI against Pakistan as he aims to find some red-ball form ahead of the home Test summer.Green made a vital 47 in Australia’s win over England in Ahmedabad on Saturday having been called into the team after Mitchell Marsh travelled home due to the death of his grandfather while Glenn Maxwell was ruled out with concussion.It was just the third game Green has played in the World Cup so far. He was expected to be an integral part of Australia’s best XI but a dip in form leading up to the tournament saw him dropped after the opening match against India. He was recalled against Netherlands to replace the injured Marcus Stoinis but lost his place again with the return of Travis Head.Related

• Green, Harris, Renshaw, Bancroft named in PM's XI to face Pakistan

• 'I enjoy watching it' – Gilchrist feels sense of deja vu watching Head cause carnage

• Mitchell Marsh to link up with Australia squad in Mumbai on Sunday

• Maxwell to miss England match after suffering concussion in golf accident

• Wade to captain Australia in T20I series against India

With Marsh returning to India on Sunday and Maxwell set to be clear of his eight-day concussion protocol on Tuesday, Green fully expects to be running the drinks again when Australia face Afghanistan in Mumbai.”I’ve had no issues,” Green said after the win over England. “I think it’s always been through the right selection calls. I absolutely love every single time I play for Australia but we want to put the best team out there on the field and unfortunately, I’m missing out but we’re obviously playing some great cricket.”Green’s omission from the ODI side followed his omission from the Test XI during the Ashes when Marsh pinched his spot after a stunning performance at Headingley when Green was absent due to a hamstring issue.Green’s decline in form across the year has been startling but it has been understandable given the extraordinary travel demands he has experienced. By the end of the World Cup, he will have spent nearly six full months in India, more than any other Australian player, on top of two months in England.Cameron Green aims to push for a Test recall after the World Cup•Getty Images

He was in India non-stop from February 1 until May 27 due to Australia’s Test and ODI tours and the IPL. He then only had two nights at home in Perth before heading to England for the World Test Championship final and the Ashes. He then travelled to South Africa at the start of September and was back in India again on September 18 and will not leave until Australia’s tournament ends in mid-November.He has been rested from Australia’s five-match T20I series against India that begins just four days after the World Cup final on November 19. But he confirmed he would not be resting at home in Perth.He is instead intending to play in WA’s Shield match against Queensland at the Gabba, beginning on November 28. Green also intends to travel to Canberra shortly after that match to play in the four-day game against the touring Pakistan side for the Prime Minister’s XI from December 6 to 9, in a bid to put himself in the selection frame for the first Test in Perth starting on December 14.Green said there has been no discussion with the selectors about his Test place as yet but he was adamant he did not want to rest.”I’m planning on playing the Shield game up in Brisbane and then we’ve got a PM’s XI game … so not too much rest to be fair,” Green said. “Just keep grinding and keep playing cricket.”Despite the obvious concerns over his workload and having spent nearly nine months overseas this year alone, Green was adamant he wanted to continue playing as much as he could to continue to improve.”I think it’s very tough. You want to play as much as you can for Australia and unfortunately, the schedule this year is pretty jam-packed,” Green said. “But I’m absolutely loving playing for my country and I think there’s a bit of a gap maybe next year. It’s been a long 18 months.”Maybe you get a bit complacent when you’re in the team all the time. You’ve got to keep reminding yourself you’re playing for Australia, and you’ve got to perform all the time. Whenever you miss out, you always want to improve and that’s what we love doing. So hopefully there’s a few improvements on the way.”Even if he is not in the first-choice XI, Green is likely to remain with the Australian team throughout the summer for the five home Tests against Pakistan and West Indies as well as three ODIs and three T20Is against West Indies in February. At the end of February Australia head to New Zealand for three T20Is and two Tests just prior to the start of the IPL where he will return for his second season with Mumbai Indians.The IPL runs straight into the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States in June before a break may finally come in July of 2024. But Green has no regrets about adding the IPL to his gruelling schedule.”One of the greatest things that happened to me was being part of the IPL and the confidence I gained from that was pretty huge,” Green said. “I definitely felt it going into the Ashes series, how I felt around the group and about my cricket as well.”It’s been a great year so far. It’s been long, challenging. But when I look at where I was at the start of the year to now, I’ve definitely grown as a cricketer and as a person.”

De Zorzi’s 81 put South Africa on course, but his wicket triggered a collapse from which they couldn’t recover

Sreshth Shah21-Dec-2023
A statement-making maiden ODI century from Sanju Samson, followed by a tidy bowling partnership between Arshdeep Singh and Washington Sundar sealed the three-match ODI series in India’s favour, as the visitors won by 78 runs against South Africa at Boland Park.Samson’s first century in India colours lifted the team to a strong 296 for 8 in the first innings, but the total seemed within reach of South Africa while Tony de Zorzi batted. He crunched 81 in 87 balls to keep the hosts on course, keeping the runs flowing even as South Africa lost Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen early.He smacked six fours and three sixes before Arshdeep’s yorker ended his stay in the 30th over. Arshdeep, who dismissed Hendricks with the new ball and then Keshav Maharaj and Lizaad Williams in his final spell, finished with 4 for 30 after a clinical bowling display. After an initial lack of control with the new ball, he made up for it later by getting the ball to effectively nip across to the right-handers.Washington, playing the final ODI for the rested Kuldeep Yadav, bowled tidily on a surface that assisted spin, and accounted for Wiaan Mulder, but more importantly had Aiden Markram caught behind attempting a reverse sweep for 36. Markram’s wicket in the 26th over, four overs before de Zorzi’s dismissal, effectively started the slide the hosts never managed to shake off.With Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan also picking off David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen respectively soon after, South Africa went from 131 for 3 to 192 for 7 in the space of 12.1 overs. Washington finished with 2 for 38 – even outperforming his senior spin partner Axar Patel (1 for 48) – to compliment Arshdeep’s match-winning spell.Sanju Samson celebrates his maiden ODI hundred•AFP/Getty Images

Earlier in the day, India were inserted by Markram at the toss, and were in a spot of bother when debutant Rajat Patidar, his fellow opener B Sai Sudharsan and the No. 4 KL Rahul all fell for relatively low scores. Patidar had impressed with a spunky 16-ball 22 but was bowled by Nandre Burger trying to attack. Sudharsan was gone lbw by Beuran Hendricks while Rahul was out trying to flick Mulder off a two-paced delivery.It was at 101 for 3 in the 19th over when Samson – promoted to No. 3 for the decider – and Tilak Verma joined hands to anchor the middle overs. Their 116-run stand in 136 balls held the innings together through a difficult period where the slow surface and accurate spin bowling from Maharaj and Markram made run-scoring tough.In the first ten, India had gained the early momentum by hitting 59 in the batting powerplay but appeared to lose it when Tilak, in particular, was strangled by spin. Their scoring-rate dropped significantly between overs 11 and 30, as the pair built a score at a slow pace, adding only 73 runs in that 20-over period.Tilak’s struggles also starved Samson off strike in the initial stage of the partnership, but Samson did not lose patience in his innings building, easing the overall pressure with the occasional boundary to keep India moving.The India players react after a successful review to dismiss Tony de Zorzi•Associated Press

Once Tilak got his first boundary in his 39th ball to move from nine to 13, the floodgates also opened, with the runs coming more frequently. The 71 runs the pair added between the 31st and 40th overs brought India on track with big hitters to follow, but Tilak fell to Maharaj for 52 soon after hitting his maiden ODI fifty.Samson, though, who played relatively risk-free cricket, keep India’s score moving. He brushed past his previous ODI high score of 86 comfortably, and in the 44th over reached his maiden century by driving down the ground for a single. His 110-ball century was followed up with a flex of his muscle.Samson was eventually gone for 108 in the 46th over with a strike-rate of almost 95 in the trying to hit Lizaad Williams out of the ground, but his century meant the stage was set for some late fireworks. That was provided by Rinku Singh, who muscled 38 in 27 balls, with some able assistance from Washington and Arshdeep with the bat too, who together contributed 21 in 11 deliveries. That pushed India to a score of 296 for 8 – including 164 in the last 20 overs – to post a total that appeared above par given the surface on offer.

There are concerns the rain that got on the surface could impact Tuesday’s BBL match at the venue

AAP09-Dec-2023Pakistan’s preparations for their three-Test series against Australia have wrapped a day early after a freak weather event battered Canberra.A massive electrical storm hit the region around 8pm on Friday, with 55kph winds blowing off the covers over the Manuka Oval pitch and exposing it to driving rain.Umpires and captains inspected the pitch late on Saturday morning and called the game off over safety concerns, confirming the clash with the Prime Minister’s XI would end in a draw.Related

• Carey finds 'silver lining' from World Cup snub, assures 'self-belief' still intact

• Harris and Bancroft audition for Australia's opening spot

• Renshaw hundred propels him towards Test contention

• Abrar likely to miss first Test against Australia after 'discomfort in right leg'

The tourists’ top-order missed out on extra time in the middle before Thursday’s Test in Perth, although the form of new skipper Shan Masood and star man Babar Azam looked great in Canberra.But their bowling contingent will be completely different, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim set to be named after resting.If they’re to pick a specialist spinner they’ll need to look to 37-year-old Noman Ali, after legspinner Abrar Ahmed injured his leg in the tour game.Australia’s first Test side looks set, although plenty of discussion at the PM’s XI game surrounded who will replace opener David Warner once he retires after the Pakistan series.The abandonment denied Matt Renshaw the chance to build on his unbeaten 136 and press his case to the national selectors even further, although he batted his way into contention with his patient century.Contenders Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris didn’t turn their starts into big scores, the same fate that met allrounder Cameron Green.PM’s XI captain Nathan McSweeney said Renshaw’s unbeaten 136 off 337 was a pure Test innings, while declaring he was glad he’s not picking Warner’s replacement.”It was easy to get frustrated out there with some shots you thought should go for four and you’re getting two for it, so the mental strength for him to face as many balls as he did was impressive,” he told reporters.”That puts him in good stead I guess, along with the other guys, they’ve all batted well, so good luck to the selectors.”They all have been [ready for Tests] for a while, they’re all quality players who continue to churn out runs in Shield cricket, I don’t think there’s a bad decision to be made.”At Manuka Oval, umpire Donovan Koch said work would need to be done on an alternate strip expected to be used for a Big Bash League match between the Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat on Tuesday night.”The pitch … is wet, the surrounding is wet and our main concern is actually the BBL pitch, it’s two strips down from the playing pitch where there’s a game on Tuesday night,” he told Fox Cricket.”We’re going to take a cautious approach, we’ve got a Test team that we don’t want to cause any injuries to, and we’ve got a few BBL players in the [PM’s XI] team as well.”

The two, along with former head coach Grant Bradburn, were given roles at the National Cricket Academy after the 2023 ODI World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2024After Grant Bradburn ended his tenure with the PCB, Mickey Arthur and Andrew Puttick have also resigned from their respective posts at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. All three were given a new portfolio after the 2023 ODI World Cup.Arthur had joined as director of the Pakistan men’s team in April 2023, while Bradburn and Puttick were appointed head coach and batting coach respectively.”All three individuals informed the Pakistan Cricket Board of their decision to leave their respective jobs by the end of January 2024,” the PCB said in a release. “The decision was taken amicably between all the stakeholders.”Arthur will continue in his role as Derbyshire’s head coach, a job he juggled with his duties with the Pakistan team. Last week, Bradburn signed a three-year deal as Glamorgan’s head coach and Puttick as Afghanistan’s batting coach.After Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, all three were in limbo as the PCB’s temporary management committee lacked the authority to relieve them from their duties. They have had their roles reassigned and none of them travelled with the team for their recent Test tour of Australia, with Mohammad Hafeez acting as both team director and head coach, and Adam Hollioake as batting coach. Pakistan lost all three Tests there.Currently, the team is in New Zealand for a five-match T20I series and is trailing by 3-0.

He was hit by a short ball from Riley Meredith while batting at No. 3 in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2024Will Pucovski has been subbed out of Victoria’s Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in Hobart after being forced to retire hurt after a sickening blow on the helmet from a Riley Meredith bouncer.Pucovski was struck by the short ball from the second delivery he faced and immediately went down on his knees in the crease. The Cricket Australia doctor and Victoria physio were quickly into the middle but after some time to compose himself Pucovski was able to walk off the field unaided for further assessment.Campbell Kellaway was brought into the XI as the concussion substitute. The match is in the fourth innings with Victoria chasing 442.”Pucovski, who walked from the field, is being monitored by medical staff,” a Cricket Victoria statement said. “More information will be provided at a later stage.”Pucovski has suffered multiple concussions throughout his career and last month returned from another spell on the sidelines where he made a century against New South Wales at the SCG.He has also had time away from the game for his mental health and earlier this year spoke about he has learnt that there is a link between that and his concussions.”I sort of link the mental health stuff back to my first concussion…which was when I was about 15 or 16,” Pucovski he told the . “I have a lot of concussion symptoms that over a seven or eight year period, actually never subsided.”You just sort of got used to having them in a way. The brain’s pretty amazing and can find ways to adapt. I would fail concussion tests in the exact same way every single time, regardless of whether I had been hit in the head, and that was over a seven or eight year period.””The mental health has been a much bigger issue for me than even the concussions,” he added. “I don’t fear for my long-term health, it’s more the mental health side that’s been the tougher part.””One day I’ll be ready to tell my whole story and it will probably make a lot more sense. I’ve explained what I’ve been through to my inner circle of people and actually all the responses I’ve got have been like ‘Jesus, I would never have guessed that in a million years, that doesn’t even make sense to me’.”It hasn’t made sense to me for years, either, but I’ve been on this pathway to understand it all.”Pucovski played one Test for Australia in early 2021, against India at the SCG.