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New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder will make his first appearance in the BBL this coming summer after signing with the Melbourne Renegades

Brydon Coverdale20-Jun-2014New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder will make his first appearance in the BBL this coming summer after signing with the Melbourne Renegades. Ryder has been granted leave from the Otago Volts to take part in Australia’s domestic T20 competition and has joined a top order that also features Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade and Callum Ferguson.”Respect and appreciation to Otago cricket for their flexibility,” Ryder said from England, where he is currently playing county cricket with Essex. “I’m stoked and grateful to be taking part in one of the best T20 competitions in the world. The Renegades have some class players so I’m looking forward to contributing.”Ryder averages 27.40 at a strike-rate of 145.90 in T20 cricket but his on-field exploits have often been overshadowed by his behaviour off the field. Most recently, he was dropped from New Zealand’s Test squad in February after he and team-mate Doug Bracewell stayed out late at a bar on the night before a Test match in which they could have played.Subsequently, Ryder was also left out of the squad for the World T20 in Bangladesh, with New Zealand’s selection chief Bruce Edgar declaring that he had to be excluded because “character is really important as part of our selection process”. Ryder has not played for New Zealand since.However, the fact that he is playing cricket at all is a positive after he was assaulted outside a Christchurch bar last March. The attack left Ryder in a critical condition in hospital, although he made a full recovery.Later in 2013, he was given a retrospective six-month suspension for failing a routine drug test earlier in the year, while he was playing in the Ford Trophy. His list of off-field indiscretions stretches back to 2008.However, the Renegades coach Simon Helmot said they had “a lot of faith” in Ryder, and that their director of cricket Tom Moody had been instrumental in recruiting him.”He had no hesitation in nominating Jesse as a ‘must have’ for the Renegades and we’re delighted to welcome him to the Renegades this summer,” Helmot said. “We have a lot of faith in Jesse and I’m sure he’ll quickly become a favourite with his big hitting in BBL 04.”

Two more centuries joined the count of six from the last match, but rain prevented any play on the second day resulting in a draw between West Indies A and Sri Lanka A in the second unofficial Test in St Vincent

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2013Scorecard
File photo: Narsingh Deonarine added 123 runs for the fourth wicket with Kraigg Brathwaite•DigicelCricket.com/Brooks LaTouche PhotographyTwo more centuries joined the count of six from the last match, but rain prevented any play on the second day, resulting in a draw between West Indies A and Sri Lanka A in the second unofficial Test in St Vincent.Seamers Miguel Cummins and Jonathan Carter struck early for West Indies A, reducing the visitors to 33 for 2 after they won the toss and batted. But wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva and Angelo Perera took advantage of their good starts and converted them into a century and half-century respectively. Silva’s 23rd first-class century, comprising 14 fours, propelled their 112-run partnership that guided Sri Lanka to safety.Sri Lanka were 275 for 7 when Cummins and Carter returned to sweep up the tail. They shared seven wickets between them as Sri Lanka finished at 314.Rain washed out the entire second day, and the probability of another draw loomed as large as the angry clouds above the Arnos Vale Ground.Still under grey skies on the third day, West Indies sunk to 11 for 2 as Suranga Lakmal claimed Kirk Edwards and Assad Fudadin for one run each. Opener Kraigg Brathwaite and Narsingh Deonarine came together at the fall of the third wicket and notched up a 123-run partnership, the highest of the match. Brathwaite fell for 77 on the fourth morning, also plagued by overcast skies, but Deonarine, with 13 fours, would not be denied his ninth first-class century.Malinda Pushpakumara’s left-arm spinners accounted for both Brathwaite and Deonarine and added three more to his tally to claim his 20th five-wicket haul which also ensured a lead of 30 for his side.Sheldon Cotterrell removed Sri Lanka’s in-form captain Dimuth Karunaratne in the third over. But a steady Udara Jayasundera, Kithuruwan Vithanage and Perera then climbed into the West Indian bowlers, especially Cotterrell who leaked over 8 runs an over. Vithanage smashed two sixes and four fours in 34 balls, falling eight short of a fifty while Perera beat his strike-rate with 34 off 25 balls with five fours.Carter claimed both batsmen and on the stroke of Jayasundera’s fifty, the match and the series ended in a tame draw.

Sylhet Royals finally ran out of steam as they lost their first match after five wins, to Dhaka Gladiators by 31 runs

Mohammad Isam29-Jan-2013
ScorecardSylhet Royals finally ran out of steam as they lost their first match after five wins, to Dhaka Gladiators by 31 runs. Royals had previously won four matches chasing more than 140 with ease, but fell comfortably below the target this time.Three Royals batsmen were run out, starting with Dwayne Smith, who slippedin the middle of the pitch in the second over. Mohammad Nabi and NazmulHossain Milon also ended up short of the crease, reducing Royals to 47 for 5 in the ninth over. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim made 41 off 37 balls, but couldn’t take the team past the three-figure mark. The team limped to 127 for 8 in 20 overs.After Smith’s run out, Gladiators captain Mashrafe Mortaza took his firstwicket of the tournament. Alfonso Thomas and left-arm spinner SaqlainSajib took two wickets each to stifle the middle-order further.Gladiators had put together a competitive total, though it wasshort of the scores put up the previous night in front of a full-house. They had some luck initially when Sohag Gazi dropped a simple chance at mid-on to let off Josh Cobb. But Mohammad Ashraful was the first to go, falling to Sulieman Benn in the fourth over. Shakib Al Hasan and Cobb also fell in the next four overs, before two fifty-plus partnerships rescued the Gladiators.Stevens cracked two sixes in his unbeaten 35-ball 55, adding 53 for thefourth wicket with Owais Shah and another 52 for the fifth wicket with theaggressive Anamul Haque, who smashed three sixes and a boundary in his18-ball 32.

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain, even though the next World T20 is four years away

Firdose Moonda29-Mar-20163:53

‘SA stars will feel this missed opportunity’

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain even though the next World T20 is four years away. Du Plessis, who is 31, considers himself “on the right side of 30,” to keep playing international cricket in the foreseeable future.Du Plessis is one of four South African players to have reached 1,000 T20 runs – the others being JP Duminy, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla – and has led them since February 2013. All four players play in all three formats and are among a group that also includes Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir, who are expected to give up some formats of the game in the near future.”The wrong side of 30 would be over 35. I am 31. That’s the right side of 30 and see myself playing a big role,” du Plessis said. “I haven’t thought of stopping playing T20 cricket. I feel my performances speak for themselves.”Du Plessis fined for dissent

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been fined 50 percent of his match fee after he was found guilty of showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. It is his second such offence in 12 months – the first came against India in Chennai in October 2015 – and a third before October 2016 would lead to a suspension.
The incident had occurred during South Africa’s final World T20 match against Sri Lanka, when du Plessis was ruled lbw by umpire S Ravi in the 13th over. Replays later indicated that there was an inside edge before ball hit the pad. An ICC release said Du Plessis showed dissent “by occupying the crease for a period of time before leaving the field while looking at his bat and shaking his head.” After the match, du Plessis admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Match referee Jeff Crowe.

After South Africa completed their World T20 campaign with a facile victory over Sri Lanka in Delhi, du Plessis suggested de Villiers was fully committed to all formats but told reporters they would have to ask Steyn himself if he wants to continue. Amla had earlier in the week claimed South Africa’s big names still had more to offer and du Plessis has put his name on the list of those who do.”I love captaining South Africa. I think some of the players, yes, won’t be there in four years,” he said. “But there won’t be a lot of T20 cricket in the next while. So we can look at it in terms of a few younger guys coming through and building for the future. It’s impossible to look four years ahead. It’s an incredibly long time but for now I am loving playing T20 cricket and loving captaining South Africa.”South Africa are not scheduled to play their next T20s until a home series against Sri Lanka in January 2017, which means du Plessis will not have to take on much of a leadership role before then while CSA will also undergo an extensive post-season review. Still, he hopes that the progress the T20 side had made in the last few months – which included series wins over Bangladesh India and England – will not be forgotten and they can use that as a springboard to develop their other formats.”The T20 side has been very successful of late. We didn’t produce at an ICC tournament. The T20 World Cup is a tough one. Your easy game is supposed to be Afghanistan and they are just as good in these conditions,” he said. “Our ODI side has also team has improved a lot. Two years ago we were in a bit of a hole and we rebuilt the side, now the Test side is there.”South Africa have come through one of their least successful periods with defeats in successive Test series and the bubble bursting on the fine limited-overs form they built up. Du Plessis believes the foundations for fixing things are there, they just need some fine-tuning.”In terms of ticking the boxes we had all areas covered. We had great variety in pace bowling. We had different combinations to play. We had great spin options, all round options. Everything was there,” he said. “It was just a case of how to you deliver on the day when the pressure is on and that’s the difference between winning a World Cup and getting knocked out.”

Kept alive by Kieron Pollard’s fighting 60 off 32, the Mumbai Indians bowlers attacked their way to a first IPL title

The Report by Sidharth Monga26-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
File photo: Kieron Pollard top-scored against Super Kings once again•BCCIKept alive by Kieron Pollard’s fighting 60 off 32, the Mumbai Indians bowlers attacked their way to a first IPL title. Mumbai were struggling at 52 for 4 in the 10th over, but Pollard batted through the innings to take them 148 even as wickets kept falling as the other end. Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson then were too good for the Chennai Super Kings batsmen, yorking and bouncing them out.Super Kings’ two big Indian batsmen fell to bouncers, their best batsman was done in by a perfect Malinga yorker, and the rest fell under the weight of the pressure and their own conservatism. MS Dhoni came in to bat at No. 7, and Albie Morkel at 8. Twenty20 doesn’t always favour aggressive sides, in that wickets don’t mean as much as they should, but in this match it did.Wickets were there aplenty for Super Kings too. There were three in the first four overs as the ball seamed, and Mohit Sharma and Morkel bowled smartly and steadily. When Dinesh Karthik fell in the 10th over, Super Kings were arguably one big wicket away from killing the game. That one big wicket never came.The first ball Pollard faced he defended away for four. That was sweetly played. He just pushed at a shortish delivery, but the ball scurried along between the bowler and mid-off. He lost Ambati Rayudu after a 48-run fifth-wicket stand, but kept bringing up fours and sixes without taking risks. His countryman, Dwayne Bravo, though, threatened to ruin his plans.Pollard had taken Mumbai to 129 for 6 after 18 overs, and would have been looking for 40 more. A tight Chris Morris over later, Bravo kept Pollard away from the strike through two wickets off the first three balls of the last over. Pollard took the risk fourth ball and ran even though the ball had reached the slip straight on a half-volley. Now Pollard had two balls to do something about the score that read only 136.And do something Pollard did. The first of the two balls was a low full toss and he flicked it for a straight six. Then came a slower ball, which pitched on a length, and Pollard dismissed it out of his presence. Twelve runs taken off the last two balls, Mumbai were reminded by their analyst that they had scored 148 in their first match against Super Kings too. Pollard had scored 57 not out then too. They won by nine back then.This time, though, they would need something special. Malinga, asked to bowl the first over, delivered nothing less than special. A swinging yorker first squeezed under Michael Hussey’s bat. Out came Suresh Raina. In came a backward short leg. Out came an accurate bouncer. Raina fended at it while looking towards third man. Backward short leg took the catch.Super Kings now sent crisis man S Badrinath ahead of the bigger hitters. If consolidation was his brief, Badrinath exceeded it by driving at a wide length ball from Mitchell Johnson and edging it through. Still no Dhoni. Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja didn’t take too long, and Dhoni had to finally come out at 36 for 5 in the seventh over. However, he ran out of batsmen soon with M Vijay falling to a Johnson bouncer and Morkel to a full Pragyan Ojha delivery, and actually had to begin farming the strike and refuse singles with six overs still to go.Most of Dhoni’s 63 off 45 came after the match had been lost, and only gave Mumbai an extended time on the field to celebrate the title even when the match was on.

Pubudu Dassanayake left Nepal on Wednesday, with his future as the national team’s coach in doubt

Rachna Shetty05-Jun-2014Pubudu Dassanayake left Nepal on Wednesday, with his future as the national team’s coach in doubt. Dassanayake was approaching the end of his contract, and told the media he had not heard from the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) about a renewal.CAN secretary Ashok Nath Pyakuryal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Dassanayake had flown home, but added that the board is “confident” of renewing his contract.”CAN has not communicated anything regarding my contract and I need to go home,” Dassanayake told . “I am not comfortable staying here without any documents. I will be putting my family at risk if I work without documents. That’s why I have decided to leave.”I leave it to CAN regarding my extension. Hopefully they will take a decision soon. However, I may not wait forever.”Pyakuryal played down the matter, saying: “Dassanayake usually travels back to his home country during the monsoon season in Nepal, as there is little cricket going on at that time. He was supposed to go at the end of June but decided to leave earlier.”An increase in Dassanayake’s pay, Pyakuryal said, could be an issue, but the board is still looking to renew his contract. “We are confident of renewing his contract in June. There has been a negotiation on the amount paid and that has increased substantially, and thus the Asian Cricket Council funds might not be enough. We are looking to work these things out though and hopefully extend his contract by no less than a year.”In March, the CAN had said Dassanayake would get a year’s extension to his contract. However, he was only given a three-month extension, which will run out later this month. The change in terms, Pyakuryal said, was due to the board being under investigation.”A few months ago, he did have a discussion with the executive committee and it was agreed to extend his contract by a year. However, the board then came under an investigation by the Commission for Investigation into Abuse of Authority and as a result of such issues, it couldn’t endorse the decision. His papers couldn’t be arranged in time so he was given a three-month contract, which will expire this month.”Dassanayake, who had taken over in 2011, had guided Nepal through a period of success culminating in their first appearance at the World T20 earlier this year.Since then, though, cricket in Nepal has gone through a difficult time, with the players coming close to boycotting the national one-day championship over a dispute with the board. The boycott was called off after the constitution of an advisory committee was set up, to monitor the development of cricket in the country – Dassanayake was included in the advisory committee.In another controversy, last month, some members of CAN had filed a no-confidence motion against its president, Tanka Angbuhang Limbu, after the running of the Nepal Premier League was outsourced to a private sports management firm.

The USMNT defender, who had an incredible campaign for FC Cincinnati during the regular season, was recognized with the award Monday morning.

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Miazga named Defender of the YearFC Cincinnati won Supporters' ShieldOnto MLS playoff Conference quarterfinalsWHAT HAPPENED?

The 28-year-old central defender was crowned the best in the league on Monday, with an accumulated voting percentage of 25.45% of the total votes.

Current active players, selected media members and respective coaches/front office staff all account for the voting tally with one-third going to each section. Miazga's highest percentage of votes came from active media members.

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Miazga's accomplishments in 2023 are ahead of the rest, despite some worthy opponents in the race like Orlando City's Robin Jansson. The 28-year-old USMNT defender, however, anchored the league's fifth-best defense en-route to a Supporter's Shield and the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.

He was an MLS All-Star who played in the XI vs Arsenal over the summer, earned 10 clean sheets in matches he started in and when Cincy had him on the pitch, they won more often than not. To be exact, with Miazga in the mix, they went 21-4-12 – only falling four times since his August 2022 arrival.

DID YOU KNOW?

Miazga played for English Premier League side Chelsea early in his career, but after a few stints on loan from the Blues, the USMNT defender returned to the U.S. with Cincy in 2022.

He spent nearly a decade abroad, with clubs in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain, and of course, England.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MIAZGA AND FC CINCINNATI?

The 28-year-old and his club will take the pitch again on November 25, when they take on the Philadelphia Union in the MLS playoffs. The Eastern Conference quarter-final will debut the post-season's extra-time and penalties format, with Round One going straight to spot kicks. It's a win-or-go-home match for both sides.

South Africa’s limited-overs wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been named in the South Africa Composite XI to play the Test squad in a three-day practice match

Firdose Moonda03-Feb-2014South Africa’s limited-overs wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been named in the South Africa Composite XI to play the Test squad in a three-day practice match. The fixture, scheduled after Zimbabwe turned down an offer to play a one-off Test at the Wanderers this week because of their player strike, will be used as a warm-up for Graeme Smith’s men ahead of their three Test series against Australia.De Kock was the most eye-catching name in the list of players that will compete with and against South Africa’s Test players. Left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks and offspinner Simon Harmer, who are training with the Test squad ahead of the first match, are also involved in the match.Graeme Smith said South Africa will probably not play their likely Test XI in one team against the reserves and the seven additional players below, and the teams will be more of a mix and match. The major selection discussion ahead of the series against Australia is which of Ryan McLaren or Wayne Parnell fills the allrounder’s spot and the two allrounders could be pitted against each other in this match.South Africa remain hopeful of getting on the park, despite days of rain which forced the cancellation of Australia’s tour match in Potchefstroom. The Wanderers pitch is in good condition and ready for the game but the outfield remains a concern. Barring no more rain, it should be dry in time for the start but should overnight showers make an appearance, there is a strong chance play will be called off.Additional players: Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Simon Harmer, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Rilee Rossouw, Stiaan van Zyl

Despite not being at full-strength, the U.S. has high hopes of making an impact on the tournament in Argentina

It was a winding road to get there, from a FIFA logistics point of view, but the players that will represent the United States Under-20 men's national team have arrived in Argentina for the U20 World Cup. Well, at least most of them.

Head coach Mike Varas has brought a talented squad to Argentina, albeit one with a few notable absences due to club commitments. The U.S., though, is a team loaded with potential future stars, several of whom have already made their senior national team debuts.

Still, though, the U.S. will be shorthanded for the group stage, with a few key players remaining with their clubs to finish off the European season before arriving at the tournament. Before they arrive, the U.S. will have to navigate a group that includes Ecuador, Slovakia and Fiji, a group they'll be expected to emerge from when all is said and done.

The U.S. has made deep runs in the last few tournaments, with their win over France in the 2019 U20 World Cup serving as a program highlight. Can they do so again this summer?

GOAL look at some of the key players and storylines that will determine the U.S. team's fate over the next few weeks:

GettySlonina's performance

The USMNT's goalkeeper of the future will be on full display at this tournament. Gabriel Slonina is, in fact, that damn good, so good that you can anoint him at such an early age. In a country that is known for producing goalkeepers, Slonina is one of the best youngsters American soccer has seen, which is why Chelsea were so quick to snatch him and up and start grooming him to be their own future No.1.

He has yet to debut at Chelsea and may not for some time, but Slonina is still expected to be a key figure for the U.S. youth teams and, perhaps, the senior team sometime soon.

This tournament will give him a chance to show his talents, much as he did in his USMNT debut earlier this year. He won't just be looking to impress the USMNT's upcoming coach, though, but perhaps European scouts with one eye towards a loan move away from Chelsea.

Either way, Slonina should be one of the team's most reliable pieces, and it's always nice to start a squad off with a goalkeeper you know can win you games.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesStriker options without Pepi

Ricardo Pepi technically could have been in the squad for this tournament, but it's quite clear that he has aged out of this sort of competition. If he had joined up with this U20 squad, he would have been a locked in starter and perhaps even a Golden Boot candidate. Instead, the U.S. will rely on other young forwards without the same track record.

For much of the cycle, the U.S. has played without a designated No.9, with Paxten Aaronson playing as a false-nine, but it doesn't have to be that way at the World Cup. Darren Yapi has emerged as a future star with the Colorado Rapids and then with this U.S. team back in March.

Yapi, though, is still pretty unproven, so it remains to be seen if he can be the guy. If he is, the U.S. has a chance to go pretty deep in this tournament. If not, it'll be a struggle to find goals against some of the better teams.

Getty ImagesThe missing pieces

Youth national team coaches know that they'll never get every player, but Varas will have hoped to have some of the players that were ultimately held back by their club teams. Three members of the CONCACAF U20 Championship Best XI have been prevented from joining up, with Aaronson, Jalen Neal and Christopher Brady all staying with their respective clubs.

The loss of Aaronson, in particular, will be a big one, as there was a legitimate argument that he is this group's best player. He won the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot during the CONCACAF tournament playing as a false nine, and having spent the months since with Eintracht Frankfurt, there's no doubt he's ready to take his game to another level.

Brady and Neal, meanwhile, are a bit more replaceable. Brady's spot will be taken by his Chicago Fire predecessor Slonina, while Neal's absence can be made up for with some of the center-backs in the squad. Regardless, Varas would have hoped to have something closer to a full squad, even if it was never a possibility to have everyone he wanted involved.

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GettyLate arrivals

Making matters worse for Varas? That the U.S. will be even more shorthanded for that first game against Ecuador. Cade Cowell, expected to be a key contributor in the attack, will be suspended for the opener for his role in a melee with Costa Rica. Rokas Pukstas and Kevin Paredes, meanwhile, won't be expected to join the team until the knockout stages due to their club obligations

Because of that, Varas will only have five outfield players on the substitute's bench for that first match. It's a dangerous game to play, but Varas has certainly balanced risk with reward.

By calling in Pukstas and Paredes, Varas will have something closer to his best team available to him by the time the knockout stages roll around. He's betting on his team to survive the group and, if he bets correctly, the U.S. team we see in the knockouts will be far better than the one we see in game one.

Will it pay off? We'll find out, but it's an interesting tactic, for sure.

The Matador BBQ’s One-Day Cup final will offer both New South Wales and Western Australia players a final chance to impress Australian selectors ahead of the 2015 World Cup

Melinda Farrell25-Oct-2014A drought will end at the SCG on Sunday. It is only a question of which one.The Australian domestic 50-over competition has undergone a complete overhaul, including multiple name changes and format tweaks, since either Western Australia or New South Wales last lifted the trophy, in 2006.But while claiming victory is undoubtedly foremost in the minds of the players, this tournament has taken on added significance ahead of the World Cup in 2015.Nathan Coulter-Nile has picked up 13 wickets in the tournament and will be eyeing a spot in Australia’s World Cup squad•Getty ImagesSeveral players have already been drafted into Australia’s T20 squad to face South Africa in November, and the opportunity to secure a place in January’s triangular series with India and England remains open to players who rise to the occasion on Sunday’s final.”There’s certainly an awareness there and almost anyone in this competition is a chance of playing in the World Cup,” New South Wales seamer Pat Cummins said. “But, to be honest, it’s not really something we talk about and it doesn’t change the way we play for New South Wales. We’re just trying to win games and, for me, I’m just happy to be back playing.”It is hardly surprising Cummins is enjoying his first season playing for his state since 2011.There is a sense of deja-vu in almost every story involving Cummins ever since his only Test appearance – a recurring pattern of near-comebacks and frustrating injuries.It’s hard to believe that nearly three years have passed since he took seven wickets and hit the winning runs as a brash 18-year-old to secure Australia’s victory over South Africa in Johannesburg. There was a reminder of his all-round value when Cummins struck the winning runs against Queensland to secure New South Wales’ place in the final.Foot and back injuries have plagued his career, but after working on his action with Dennis Lillee, among others, Cummins will join Australia’s T20 squad to face South Africa.”The body feels really good,” Cummins said. “I’ve been back bowling for a long time now and strung together a lot of games in the past ten months so I’m really happy with where I am at the moment and I can concentrate on form and bowling well rather than anything else while I’m playing.”One of Cummins’ fast-bowling opponents in the final, Nathan Coulter-Nile, has no doubt a national call-up for Cummins is just a matter of time.”I think everyone knows that he’s good enough when he’s fit,” Coulter-Nile said. “It’s just a matter of stringing enough games together and he’ll be playing for Australia for a very long time.”While Cummins’ return to the Australian team in all formats appears to be a formality based on his continued fitness, Coulter-Nile knows the final personally gives him an opportunity to force his way back into the Australian ODI squad.Coulter-Nile took 3 for 34 in his last appearance for Australia – against England in January – and, as one of the form bowlers in Australian cricket, he is another player who could pique the interest of selectors.Coulter-Nile has taken 13 wickets from four matches in this competition and claimed Man-of-the-Match honours in Western Australia’s past two matches, including against Victoria where he picked up 5 for 26.”It’s a blessing for Australia that there are so many good fast bowlers,” Coulter-Nile said. “But it’s not so much of a good thing when you’re trying to get a spot and there are only three quicks that can play. It all comes down to form and injury I guess.Form and injuries to other players put Coulter-Nile within touch of an Australian Test debut last summer, when he spent a significant amount of time with the Australian Test squad during the Ashes as cover for Australia’s fast bowling contingent.”I learned that the three quicks we’ve got playing there are outstanding players and the level you have to be playing at is a lot higher than I initially thought,” Coulter-Nile admitted. “Watching blokes like Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle bowl, they give nothing away and they give 100 percent for 30 overs a day. From where I was at last year, I knew there was a long way to go.”The selector Mark Waugh has earmarked Coulter-Nile as a Test bowler-in-waiting, and just how far he has come will become apparent in the next couple of months. In the meantime, there’s a drought to break. For one state, or another.