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The visitors in Bengaluru will be looking for their first win in IPL 2023

Deivarayan Muthu14-Apr-20234:50

Moody: Harshal Patel needs to step up for RCB at home

Big picture: Delhi Capitals look to snap losing streak

Two weeks into IPL 2023, Delhi Capitals are the only winless team in the tournament. Anrich Nortje threatened to put them on the board with his pinpoint yorkers in their last match against Mumbai Indians, but a wayward throw from David Warner in the outfield and Tim David’s big dive on the last ball consigned Capitals to their fourth successive defeat.Royal Challengers Bangalore were also on the wrong side of a last-ball finish earlier this week, but they’re better placed than Capitals on the standings and will be bolstered further by the return of Wanindu Hasaranga, who is one of the top wristspinners in T20 cricket right now.However, there are some concerns around RCB’s middle order and their batting approach in the middle overs, particularly against spin. Left-arm spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav offer Capitals a favourable match-up against Royal Challengers’ right-hander heavy top five. Nortje and Mustafizur have been formidable at the death, but Warner’s go-slow at the top has left them playing catch-up. Mitchell Marsh’s return and an easy-paced hit-through-the-line Chinnaswamy track, though, could free him up.

Form guide (most recent match first)

RCB: LLW
Delhi Capitals: LLLL

Team news: Wanindu Hasaranga, Mitchell Marsh return

Related

• Waiting for the real David Warner

• Kohli and du Plessis' slowdown against spin proves costly for RCB

• Watson: I'll be blown away if Warner doesn't set the IPL alight

Hasaranga has linked up with Royal Challengers and is available for selection after having completed his national commitments in New Zealand. The Sri Lanka legspinner will slot into the XI in place of David Willey or Wayne Parnell. This will result in another swap: Akash Deep for Karn Sharma. Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is expected to arrive in India on Friday and will finish his rehab with Royal Challengers. It is understood that he’s unlikely to play against Capitals on Saturday.

Toss and Impact Player strategy

Anuj Rawat might be used as a floater in the middle order to counter Axar and Kuldeep if Royal Challengers bat first. Seamer Akash Deep is likely to come in as an Impact Player when they bowl.Mitchell Marsh is back in the IPL after leaving to get married•BCCI

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Bat-first XI (possible): 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mahipal Lomror, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Anuj Rawat, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 David Willey/Wayne Parnell, 11 Mohammed SirajBowl-first XI (possible): 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mahipal Lomror, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 David Willey/Wayne Parnell, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Mohammed SirajDelhi Capitals
Marsh, who had missed Capitals’ last two games for his wedding, has rejoined the squad and is set to return to the starting XI in place of Rovman Powell.Capitals are likely to bring in Mukesh Kumar or Chetan Sakariya as their Impact Player, when they bowl. Prithvi Shaw might make way for one of the two seamers.Bat-first XI (possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yash Dhull/Aman Khan, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Lalit Yadav, 8 Abhishek Porel (wk), 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Mustafizur RahmanBowl-first XI (possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Yash Dhull/Aman Khan, 5 Axar Patel, 6 Lalit Yadav, 7 Abhishek Porel (wk), 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Mukesh Kumar/Chetan Sakariya, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Another Chinnaswamy belter is on the cards. A total of 1161 sixes have been hit at this ground in the IPL which is the second most behind Wankhede (1349) in the competition. The weather is expected to be fine for the duration of the game.

Stats that matter

• Glenn Maxwell vs Kuldeep promises to be an intriguing match-up. Maxwell has hit the wristpinner for 59 runs in 21 balls while being dismissed three times in the IPL.
• Dinesh Karthik has a strong head-to-head record against Mustafizur in T20 cricket: 46 runs off 23 balls with just one dismissal.
• Royal Challengers (9.51) and Capitals (9.18) have the worst economy rates in IPL 2023.

Cameron Green, Tim David’s fifties in vain as India hunt down 187-run target

Deivarayan Muthu25-Sep-20221:54

Hodge: ‘It looks like Kohli has his mojo back’

Half-centuries from Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli trumped fifties from Cameron Green and Tim David as India chased down 187 and clinched the series 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd in Hyderabad.Suryakumar got together with Kohli after Daniel Sams and Pat Cummins had bounced out KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma respectively. Whenever the bowlers hit the Hyderabad pitch hard, the ball either kicked up or stopped on the batters. Case in point: the first ball to Suryakumar, from Cummins, reared up from a back of a length and zipped away past his outside edge.Suryakumar, however, rose above the conditions and Australia’s attack, proving a potent point of difference in India’s line-up. He struck up a 104-run partnership off 62 balls with Kohli and disrupted the bowlers by manufacturing swinging room or jumping out of the crease.After Suryakumar ultimately fell for 69 off 36 balls, with India 53 away from victory, Australia staged a mini-fightback and dragged the game down to the last over in which the hosts needed 11.Kohli shovelled the first ball from Sams over long-on and holed out next ball for 63 off 48 balls. Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya, though, got the job done for India with one ball to spare.8:05

Rohit: ‘We still need to be more aggressive and clinical’

Green’s opening salvo
With the new ball sliding onto the bat, Green immediately teed off in the powerplay, muscling his way to a 19-ball fifty in the fifth over. Much like Suryakumar, Green often backed away outside leg and lustily swung at the ball. Only David Warner and Glenn Maxwell have hit faster fifties for Australia in T20Is.Green was responsible for 52 off the 66 runs Australia had scored in the powerplay. He once again unfurled his range against spin when he cracked Axar Patel for three successive fours in the fourth over, with the pick of those being a hard, flat sweep to the midwicket boundary.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had conceded 12 runs in his first over, however, returned to the attack in the next over and hid one away from his reach to have Green caught at backward point for 52 off 21 balls. Axar steps up once again
After being picked apart by Green, Axar got his arm ball fizzing against Maxwell and varied his pace well to make it even more effective. He had already dismissed Aaron Finch for 7 and claimed 1 for 31 in his three overs in the powerplay.Axar then returned to the attack with a double-wicket 14th over. He had Josh Inglis lobbing a catch to backward point and drew a return catch from Matthew Wade. Axar went over the wicket to the left-handed Wade, got a shortish ball into the pitch and had him spooning a punch back to him. Axar ended the series with figures of 8 for 63 in ten overs at an economy rate of 6.30. No other bowler got more than three wickets in the series.2:36

Has Tim David cemented his place in the Australia XI?

David’s end-overs bash

That Australia reached 186 for 7 from 117 for 6 was largely down to David’s big-hitting. In his first international series for Australia, David showed why he is in demand in franchise T20 leagues. Despite India posting fielders at both long-on and long-off for the most part, David took 27 of his 54 runs down the ground with Kieron Pollard-esque blows. When Bhuvneshwar marginally missed his yorker, David took him for 6, 6, 4 in the 18th over. Jasprit Bumrah, too, couldn’t control the damage, finishing with 0 for 50 – the most he has conceded in a T20I.The Suryakumar-Kohli show
India lost both their openers within four overs, but Suryakumar and Kohli quickly changed the mood and tempo of the chase. Both batters were proactive against legspinner Adam Zampa, using their feet and hitting him against the intended turn for sixes.Zampa could’ve cut Kohli’s innings short at 23 had he hung onto a tough return catch. Suryakumar soon overtook Kohli and surged to a 29-ball fifty. He then hit two sixes and a four off his next five balls and threatened to rush India home. Hazlewood and co. though applied the brakes and made India work hard for victory.India managed only one four and a six between overs 16 and 19, but Suryakumar’s early assault ensured the chase was always within their grasp.

The opening pair put on 181, the highest ever IPL stand for any wicket for CSK

Deivarayan Muthu04-Oct-20201:35

Should Kings XI Punjab now look at playing Mujeeb Ur Rahman?

After losing three matches in a row, the Chennai Super Kings finally ditched their go-slow at the top and maximised the powerplay, dragging themselves off the bottom of the points table with a ten-wicket shellacking of the Kings XI Punjab in Dubai. Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson reeled off an unbroken 181 together for the first wicket – the highest partnership ever for the Super Kings – to hand the Kings XI their fourth defeat. It was also the second-highest target chased down in the IPL without losing a wicket.Du Plessis, in particular, wasn’t fluent in the early exchanges, but he chanced his arm and kept clearing the infield. In the last over of the powerplay, du Plessis flitted around the crease and carted Chris Jordan for four fours in five balls, seemingly ruining the bowler’s 32nd birthday.After managing 4, 33, 14, 1 in his first four innings this season, Watson, too, dashed out of the blocks rolling out his vintage slog-sweeps and lofts down the ground. He was the first to raise his half-century, off 31 balls, before du Plessis brought up his own landmark off 33 balls. The pair then cranked up the tempo further and toyed with a Kings XI side that had drafted in Jordan to beef up their bowling attack in place of New Zealand allrounder Jimmy Neesham.The Kings XI had started strongly, too, earlier in the evening, with captain KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal putting together their third fifty-plus opening stand in five innings. Rahul cut out all risks and was on 46 off 44 balls at the start of the 15th over; the Kings XI were 114 for 2 at that point. However, the big acceleration didn’t quite come to pass as Shardul Thakur had Rahul edging behind for 63 off 52 balls with a slower yorker. Thakur had also dismissed the big-hitting Nicholas Pooran in the same over – the 18th – to help limit the Kings XI to 178 for 4.Rahul and Agarwal at it again
After opting to bat, Rahul saw off the early swing from Deepak Chahar and only went on the offensive when the Super Kings’ seamers provided him width. At the other end, though, Agarwal was more adventurous, backing away outside leg and clattering Chahar over extra-cover. He then nailed a front-foot pull off a heavy-length delivery from Thakur. However, legspinner Piyush Chawla cut short Agarwal’s knock at 26 off 19 balls with his first delivery.Mandeep Singh, who was picked ahead of Karun Nair, infused more urgency into the innings, taking Chawla for 20 off just nine balls. Then, when he tried to take on Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm fingerspin, he drilled him straight to Ambati Rayudu at extra-cover. After not picking up a single wicket in his last three matches, Jadeja got away to 3-0-17-1. However, the left-handed Pooran messed with his figures, cracking him for back-to-back boundaries in his final over, including a massive six over midwicket. In contrast, Rahul continued to play himself in for the slog overs.Thakur stays alive at the death
Rahul raised his fifty off his 46th ball with a six and hit the next two balls for boundaries as well. Just when he threatened to accelerate, Thakur tricked him with a slower wide yorker that found his outside edge. Dhoni dived to his right and became the second wicketkeeper, after Dinesh Karthik, to bag 100 catches. A ball before removing Rahul, Thakur had Pooran skying a catch for 33 off 17 balls. Although, Sarfaraz Khan got two fours away off the first two balls off the last over, Thakur adjusted his pace and lines to close out the innings well. In all, the Kings XI scored only 37 off their last four overs.Hello, again, CSK
Watson set the tone for the Super Kings’ chase when he planted his front leg and lofted left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell over mid-on in the first over. The Kings XI then threw Harpreet Brar into the powerplay, matching him up with Watson, who tends to struggle against left-arm fingerspinners. In the game against the Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel found drift and cramped him for room, drawing a weak pull to deep midwicket. Watson, though, lofted Brar over his head and settled down. Du Plessis then kept swishing at the ball, exploiting the field restrictions, taking the Super Kings to 60 for 0 in six overs. It was the first time this season that the Super Kings openers had moved past the powerplay unscathed.With Chawla, Shardul Thakur, and Deepak Chahar at Nos. 9, 10, and 11, Watson and du Plessis kept going after the bowlers. Legspinner Ravi Bishnoi put Watson off with his reverse diagonal run-up across the umpire like how Mumbai Indians’ Rahul Chahar often does. However, he, too, wasn’t spared as Watson smoked him past extra-cover and then Jordan returned to cop more punishment from Du Plessis.Du Plessis finished the chase off in grand fashion in the 18th over with a one-handed six followed by a punched four off Mohammed Shami.

Jayant Yadav, the India offspinner, is set to make a comeback from injury during the two-day practice match between India A and the touring Bangladeshis in Secunderabad on February 5 and 6

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2017Jayant Yadav, the India offspinner, is set to make a comeback from injury during the two-day practice match between India A and the touring Bangladeshis in Secunderabad on February 5 and 6. Jayant has not played a competitive game since missing the fifth Test against England with a hamstring strain.Jayant is one of three spinners in the India A squad, the others being the left-arm orthodox spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and the left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav. Aniket Choudhary, Chama Milind and allrounders Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar make up the pace options. Abhinav Mukund will lead the side, which also includes Shreyas Iyer and Priyank Panchal, the top run-getters in the last two editions of the Ranji Trophy, and three wicketkeepers in Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan and Nitin Saini.India A squad: Abhinav Mukund (capt), Priyank Panchal, Shreyas Iyer, Ishank Jaggi, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Shahbaz Nadeem, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Aniket Choudhary, Chama Milind, Nitin Saini (wk).

The Western Cape Cricket (WCC) board will meet before Friday to decide whether they implement a suggestion from dispute resolution body to appoint an independent assessor to look into Paul Adams’ role as Cobras’ head coach

Firdose Moonda18-Oct-2016The Western Cape Cricket (WCC) board will meet before Friday to decide whether they implement a suggestion from dispute resolution body, the Council for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), to appoint an independent assessor in 14 days time to look into Paul Adams’ role as Cobras’ head coach. The CCMA made the recommendation after several Cobras players, through the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), took their grievance with Adams to the body, following a breakdown in the board’s ability to resolve long-standing issues.Seven franchise players were present at the CCMA on Tuesday to state their case but an insider told ESPNcricinfo he does not believe the board will implement the CCMA’s motion because they have already given Adams their backing. The source predicts more battles between the board and players on this matter.Although none of the players’ complaints about Adams have been made public, 10 out of the 17 contracted players have stated on the record that they do not believe he is the right man to take the team forward. They first made their unhappiness known at the end of the last season but Cobras offered Adams a two-year contract extension. The players then raised a formal grievance and the WCC appointed a mediator, Paddy Upton, to try to find a resolution.Upton compiled a report in which he interviewed some but not all of the players and concluded that Adams should stand down and be redeployed in a different capacity at the franchise. The WCC chose not to implement those measures because they said they found material deficiencies in Upton’s report, relating to the number of players he spoke to. The players then sought the help of SACA, who have assisted them in taking the case to the CCMA.On Tuesday at the CCMA meeting, Tony Irish, SACA CEO, believes some positive steps were taken. “It may well be the first time that players and the board have exchanged such frank views on the issue,” he said. “The parties have given themselves a clear two-week period to come up with a mechanism which will hopefully finally resolve this dispute.”If, by November 1, the board and the players have not reached a mutual agreement, the matter can return to the CCMA for further discussion.The ongoing saga into Adams’ future has coincided with the start of the season which has not gone well for Cobras. They have lost their opening two matches by big margins and their second fixture, against Knights was marred by a bad-tempered incident when Cobras’ batsman Zubayr Hamza was given our handling the ball. A eye-witness said members of both teams were involved in verbal altercations and there may yet be disciplinary proceedings. Cobras play Warriors in their third first-class match at Newlands, starting on Thursday.

ESPNcricinfo previews the final of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup

The Preview by Umar Farooq09-Dec-2012

Match Facts

December 9, Lahore
Start time 1600 (10.30GMT)Ahmed Shehzad has another chance to stake his claim for a place in the Pakistan side•AFP

The Big Picture

Earlier this week Mohammad Hafeez said with a smile that his ‘heart will beat’ for Lahore Lions if he ends up facing his native side Faisalabad Wolves in the final. That moment has arrived, with Hafeez taking on Misbah-ul-Haq’s team. The champions of the Faisal Bank Twenty20 take home Rupees 2 million. Both teams have won the title once. The Wolves won the inaugural championship in 2005, and the Lions in 2010.Both sides have been very consistent this tournament. Lions, a powerful side with nine international cricketers, have been unbeaten this tournament and their margins of victory so far are; seven wickets, 30 runs, 30 runs, 6 wickets, 44 runs, 5 wickets, 51 runs. Wolves, too, have been undefeated but without many big stars; Saeed Ajmal left his home team after three matches to join Big Bash League in Australia though team had an inspiration of Misbah.Lions’ weakness appears to be their bowling, they’ve only managed to bowl a side out once so far. Wolves haven’t been explosive with the bat, chasing with steady approach.The Gaddafi Stadium will host the final and a full house is expected. The security around the stadium has been increased. It was near the stadium that gunmen fired at the the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009, and the country hasn’t hosted international cricket since then. The head of police in charge of security has said the city has a point prove by hosting the final successfully.

Watch out for…

Ahmed Shehzad, the right-hand opener, has made a case to return into the national side, after scoring a hundred against Bahawalpur Stags, including 20 boundaries. He is currently the highest run-getter this tournament. He has another opportunity in this competition to stake his claim for a place in the Pakistan side for the upcoming tour of India.Seamer Ehsan Adil could play a key role against a powerful batting line-up. He hit the headlines after the Under-19 World Cup and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the President Trophy. He’s also taken seven wickets in three T20 games.

Pitch and conditions

During day-night games, teams have preferred to field first to prevent the dew from affecting their bowlers in the evening.

Quotes

“We know we have the big names in the side and each player is sensing the responsibility to with the championship.”
Mohammad Hafeez
“Hafeez has been an integral part of our team and nobody can fill his vacancy but players come and go and it’s a part of the game. He is definitely is being missed but you have to manage without him so we will try to perform well and win.”

Douglas Ovenstone, who toured England as South Africa’s reserve wicketkeeper in 1947, has died at his home in Llandudno, Cape Town at the age of 90

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2011Douglas Ovenstone, who toured England as South Africa’s reserve wicketkeeper in 1947, has died at his home in Llandudno, Cape Town at the age of 90. He was described by Wisden as a stylish wicketkeeper, very much in the style of Godfrey Evans, the England wicketkeeper at the time.Ovenstone, who was injured at El Alamein while serving with South African forces in World War 2, was picked as understudy to John Lindsay but broke a finger between the third and fourth Tests and with that his chance of playing disappeared. Lindsay played in the first three Tests, and George Fullerton, who had been selected as a batsman who could ‘keep in an emergency, played in the last two Test matches. These were Lindsay’s only Tests while Fullerton toured England again (as a batsman) in 1951.Ovenstone played four Currie Cup matches and retired in early 1948, citing business reasons for his early retirement.A director in a family business specialising mainly in the fishing industry, he was later instrumental in opening the High Noon farm near Villiersdorp in the Western Cape, where many exotic wild animals were kept. The farm produced a number of fruits, with apples being the main fruit produced.In 20 first-class matches he scored 437 runs at 14.56, took 40 catches and made 15 stumpings.

Ambati Rayudu could take his place in India’s middle order once the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman move on, Harbhajan Singh has said

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-2011Mumbai Indians batsman Ambati Rayudu could take a spot in India’s Test middle order once the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman move on, Harbhajan Singh has said. According to him, Rayudu, who joined Mumbai in 2010 after cancelling his contract with the Indian Cricket League, was key to the side’s run to the final in the previous season.”He has special talent. He got lost [in domestic cricket] in between and we didn’t hear much about him, but he’s been playing really well for Mumbai Indians. Last season he was one of the main players who got us into the final, and I can see him playing for India,” Harbhajan said. “He’s got the capability to fill the shoes of Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman. That’s what I think, in coming years you’ll see him going a long way.”Harbhajan is looking forward to talking shop with Shane Warne when Mumbai play Rajasthan Royals on Friday. “It [the match] is an opportunity for youngsters like Rayudu and Rohit Sharma to face one of the world’s best bowlers ever. Hopefully I’ll get some time to talk to him about my bowling and about me going forward in international cricket.”Mumbai’s fielding, which has received a lot of praise, is what won them the match against Chennai Super Kings on April 22, Harbhajan said. “Jonty Rhodes always pushes us to work really hard on our fielding. We all know that fielding is an area in which we can always improve. If you ask me, we won against Chennai because we fielded brilliantly and not because I took five wickets.”Harbhajan also said if spinners have been faring better in this IPL, it wasn’t because of the pitches. “Pitches have been always slow in India. There have been bowlers like Praveen Kumar who’ve been getting wickets. You have to do different things in Twenty20, I feel you can’t just bowl at 130 plus kph and get away with your four overs. You need some kind of swing or to bowl at 150 kph to survive this form.”We [Mumbai] are doing well as a bowling unit. Even someone like Kieron Pollard, who is not purely a bowler, is capable of getting us three or four wickets on a good day. On a good day, anyone can win a game for us, that is what matters.”The environment in the Mumbai camp is a great one to be in, Harbhajan said. “Last season Zak [Zaheer Khan] was around, and Sachin [Tendulkar], Zak and I tried to makes ours a tight unit. That worked for us, and this year it is the same.”Someone like T Suman, who has just come in [this season], we want him to feel like he’s a part of the think tank. Whatever he feels, he can come and talk to us and give us his suggestions and feedback. We have a lot of confidence in each other, people talk about whatever they have on their mind, which is a great environment to be in.”

Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad must be named by Wednesday, but after years of planning the selectors face a string of last-minute decisions

Peter English17-Jan-2011Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad must be named by Wednesday, but after years of planning the selectors face a string of last-minute decisions. The injured Ricky Ponting is expected back in time for the tournament as he aims for his fourth win in a row, but this time he will have to do it with a team missing its usual batch of superstars. Here are some of the questions facing the selectors.Brett Lee is fit and ready for a second World Cup•Getty Images

Can Brett Lee and Shaun Tait fit into the same squad?

Brett Lee and Shaun Tait are almost unchallenged as fast men when they are at full fitness. The major problem for Australia is it doesn’t happen very often, setting up a risk-or-reward gamble. If they are on-song at 150kph, they will terrorise batsmen in most games and be expensive in others, but wickets are virtually guaranteed. If Australia take only one of the pair the other could be on standby as a like-for-like replacement in case of breakdown. Lee, 34, is now the front-runner after impressing at the MCG on Sunday after Tait pulled out with a back strain.Neither plays first-class cricket any longer, so this tournament is their international peak – and also a warm-up for the IPL. Lee’s return from injury – he had elbow surgery at the start of last year – could provide the side with a link to its all-conquering past, and help him overcome the disappointment of missing the 2007 event with damaged ankle ligaments. His international career started just after the 1999 triumph and he was the second-leading wicket-taker in South Africa four years later.How many spinners do Australia need?

Australia have always had slow-bowling problems when heading to the subcontinent, even when Shane Warne was around. How many do they need this time, and will any of those selected be able to make any impact? The offspinner Nathan Hauritz didn’t play in the opening ODI but is with the squad for the current one-day series against England and has been promised some games. That wouldn’t have occurred if he hadn’t been marked for a part at the World Cup.Xavier Doherty, the left-arm orthodox from Tasmania, was on trial at the MCG in his third ODI and went wicket-less. Steven Smith has a big future and his legbreaks will be required over the next couple of months, but he is not yet good enough to be a specialist with either bat or ball. And then there are the real part-timers. David Hussey, who must make a mark as a batsman first, collected two victims with his offspin in Melbourne when he was preferred in the early stages to Doherty; Michael Clarke can dart in some handy left-armers when his back allows; and at some point Cameron White might be asked if he still remembers how to roll his arm over. Even the selectors and coaching staff really don’t know the best combination in this key department.Are Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke worth their leadership roles?

Of course they are. Both Ponting and Clarke have had poor Test summers but they will be crucial ingredients if Australia are to have a successful campaign. Ponting is out with a broken little finger but expects to be back to lead the team in a tournament in which he has never lost a game as captain. He has been a part of the past three previous world-beating outfits and brings authority and aggression, even if his best days are behind him. However, whatever happens, he should seriously consider stepping down at the end of the competition and let the next generation emerge. Clarke is a vital piece in the middle order and is desperate to find some form and fluency to return to the top of his game after a rare, extended slump.Does Brad Haddin need an understudy?

Tim Paine was appointed Australia’s vice-captain for the T20s against England and Brad Haddin was dropped. Paine, 26, is being groomed for future leadership roles while Haddin was Clarke’s deputy for the SCG Test. It’s a strange time for Australia’s incumbent wicketkeeper, who usually gets to choose his engagements. Haddin, 33, is the more attacking batsman and will start at the top of the order, but his glovework is less assured. He was sloppy in the opening ODI, with three missed stumpings, and may struggle over two months in challenging conditions. There is no way he will be around for the next World Cup, so it would be sensible to send Paine for the experience, and to give Haddin a rest against Canada and Kenya.Who is going to miss out?

David Hussey and Tait sit right on the edge of selection, while a host of other players in the 30-man preliminary outfit are now no chance of making this week’s unit. It always seems crazy that Brad Hodge misses out despite his regular domestic heroics, while Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson have been injured. Dan Christian, John Hastings and Callum Ferguson, who broke his nose when he missed a short ball last week, should come into consideration if there are any injuries to the preferred 15.Possible squad Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, Peter Siddle, Shaun Tait, Doug Bollinger.

Worcestershire succumb in an hour’s play on final morning as hosts eye runners-up finish

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2024Kyle Abbott put Hampshire on course for their best Vitality County Championship since 2005 after beating Worcestershire by 235 runs.Abbott took four of the five remaining Worcestershire wickets to return five for 36 and his fourth five-wicket haul of the season.Hampshire collected maximum points to move above Somerset and into second place, ahead of a trip to Taunton to conclude the season next week, with James Vince’s side last finishing as runners-up under Shane Warne’s captaincy.Worcestershire needed 277 more runs to win on the final day, but only lasted until 11.30am as Abbott ran rampant.Abbott broke through in the sixth over of the day as he skidded a short delivery into Ethan Brookes’ ribs.The first-innings centurion attempted to pull, but it dragged off his glove and to Toby Albert at leg slip – who took a stunning diving catch.Jake Libby scored a patient half-century the previous evening but only added a further two runs before he became Abbott’s second scalp in two overs.The South African found significant inwards movement to take an inside-edge onto pad and to Vince at first slip.Albert produced a second brilliant piece of fielding of the morning as Joe Leach’s penultimate Championship appearance ended in a run-out – after Logan van Beek had turned down a single.Tom Taylor came out to bat at No.11 with a runner, but either side of some Amar Virdi swinging, but only lasted six balls before he edged Abbott behind.Abbott now has 46 scalps in the Championship this season, having completed the game an hour into day four with the hosts bowled out for 158.