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New South Wales seamer set to play first four rounds of Division Two campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2023Northamptonshire have re-signed Chris Tremain, the Australia fast bowler, for the first four rounds of next season’s County Championship.Tremain, currently the leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield with 34 at 15.20 for New South Wales, featured three times for Northants last season. He claimed 13 wickets, including six in the match against Middlesex – one of the club’s two wins as they were relegated from Division One.”I’m very excited to be returning to Northamptonshire in 2024,” Tremain said. “I enjoyed every moment I spent with the group last season, I hope I can make an impact for the time I’m there and help set the tone for the remainder of the County Championship.”Northants said that UK visa restrictions had prevented Tremain from joining for longer, but head coach John Sadler was nevertheless enthusiastic about the 32-year-old’s return.”I’m delighted to get Trem back on board with us for 2024.” Sadler said. “His style of bowling is very well suited to English conditions so to have him locked in for those first four games is fantastic.”He was only with us for a short stint last season but made a huge impact at the club on and off the field He’s in a rich vein of form in Australia at the moment and hopefully that continues when he rejoins us in April.”

Wondering if the biggest names correspond to the best picks at this draft? That and more in ESPNcricinfo’s explainer

Andrew McGlashan26-Aug-2022First thing’s first. When does it take place?
August 28, starting at 6.30pm AEST, shortly after the conclusion of Australia’s first ODI against Zimbabwe. In Australia it will be broadcast on Fox Cricket and Kayo. On ESPNcricinfo there will be a live blog bringing you all the updates.How are players categorised?
There are four bands overall: platinum (AU$340,000; US$236,000 approx.), gold (AU$260,000; US$181,000 approx.), silver (AU$175,000; US$121,000 approx.) and bronze (AU$100,000; US$69,000 approx.). Players themselves could pick any of the latter three, and nominate their availability, and CA have selected 12 of the leading names for the top bracket with the additional amount above the gold fee coming from a marketing pool. Overall, 332 players have put their names in. A reminder, too, that BBL clubs have a salary cap of AU$1.9 million (US$1.3m approx.).Related

• What might BBL teams want this season? Here's a comprehensive tactical guide to the draft

• Full BBL overseas player draft list – 332 names confirmed

• Platinum rundown: Livingstone, Boult and du Plessis could be early picks in BBL

• Warner's BBL return confirmed with two-year Thunder deal

• Chris Lynn signs 11-game Adelaide Strikers BBL deal to split time with ILT20

These are the platinum players: Faf du Plessis, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, David Willey, Shadab Khan, Dwayne Bravo, Rashid Khan, Chris Jordan, and Trent Boult.The platinums are also available at gold with the exception of Rashid, Boult, Pollard and Russell. Most players have nominated themselves across gold and silver with some available across all three bands, although Joe Clarke, Sandeep Lamichhane, Obed McCoy and Rilee Rossouw are understood to be gold-only. Likewise, a few who have put themselves as silver who won’t be available in bronze. (More on some potentially value picks below).So who gets first pick?
This was decided by a weighted lottery, based on where teams finished last season, with Melbourne Renegades coming out with the first pick and Hobart Hurricanes No. 8 (so Ricky Ponting could have his work cut out as head of strategy). Teams don’t have to select a platinum player, but they must select a minimum of two and maximum of three names overall on the night – and can only select once from each category. So there will be up to 24 players signed at the draft. Here is the full order:BBL Overseas Draft Order•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

I’ve heard about a retention option, what’s that?
This allows a club to keep a player who was part of their squad last season. It’s been dubbed the “Rashid Khan rule” because Adelaide Strikers are expected to use it to keep hold of Rashid should another club try to get him before Strikes get pick five in the platinum round. In the first group, Rashid aside, Andre Russell (Stars), Chris Jordan (Sixers), Shadab Khan (Sixers) and Sam Billings (Thunder) are eligible for retention. Overall, there are 28 eligible players, including James Vince (Sixers), Alex Hales (Thunder), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Heat), Tom Curran (Sixers), Colin Munro (Scorchers) and Joe Clarke (Stars).Those new leagues in January are a problem, right?
Well, a challenge for sure. The BBL will run from December 13 to February 4, so there is a major overlap with the two new tournaments that are being launched in South Africa and the UAE. Players who have signed for those competitions are likely to be available for the BBL until late December or early January, with exact details still being worked through. Australia’s Test players will fill some of the holes – it’s why David Warner’s deal was so important – but not all of them will disappear.So where could the smart picks be?
Most of the platinum players have restricted availability but would be worth selecting for the impact they could have. However the really interesting part of the draft will be in the lower categories. For example, Mohammad Amir has full availability and, it’s understood, could be snaffled at bronze. The same goes for England legspinner Matt Parkinson. Laurie Evans, who was key to Scorchers’ title last season, is also available at silver/bronze. Other leading players with limited availability but available at silver include England trio Hales, Vince and Curran. Jimmy Neesham, Reece Topley, Ollie Pope and Imran Tahir are among others available at silver but not for the whole tournament. There could be some real value to have in the bronze category.Can teams sign replacements?
Yes, and this could start the day after the draft. Replacement players do not have to be from the same category as the player they are coming in for. Anyone in the draft not picked up on Sunday is eligible as a replacement. This could open up the possibility of players who only have availability towards the end of the tournament getting a gig.

Fast bowler released from Indian squad after not making the XI for first Test against Sri Lanka; hip strain rules Karthik out of TN’s must-win game against MP

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017Ishant returns to lead Delhi
Ishant Sharma will rejoin Delhi’s squad and lead them in a crucial home fixture against Maharashtra at Palam grounds in New Delhi on Friday after being released from the Indian Test squad. Ishant, who was originally picked in India’s squad of 15 for the Sri Lanka Tests, wasn’t picked in the XI for the ongoing Kolkata Test that began on Thursday. A BCCI press release stated he will rejoin the Test squad ahead of the second Test in Nagpur.Ishant had missed Delhi’s previous game, against Karnataka in Alur, upon instructions from the team management, asking all the fast bowlers to rest. Rishabh Pant, the 20-year old wicketkeeper, had led in his absence. With 17 points in four matches, Delhi are currently second in Group A with two rounds remaining. A win in one of their two remaining games could smoothen their passage to the quarter-finals.TN hit by Karthik’s absenceTamil Nadu will go into a must-win game against Madhya Pradesh in Indore on Friday without wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who has been ruled out due to a hip strain. Karthik is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, but is expected to be fit for Tamil Nadu’s last league match, against Baroda beginning from November 25.Karthik’s international committments – he played three ODIs against New Zealand – have meant that he has been able to play only one match for TN in the season so far. While he managed only 5 in his lone game against Tripura, he was in good form against New Zealand in the ODI series, with scores of 37, 64* and 4*.With only two league matches left, Tamil Nadu need to beat both Madhya Pradesh and Baroda to have a chance of progressing to the knockouts. The outcome of their previous match, where they dropped first-innings points against Odisha despite a score of 530 for 8, hasn’t helped. Tamil Nadu are currently on eight points and are fourth in Group C behind Andhra, Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai.

Head coach Mike Hesson is keen to consider Adam Milne and Mitchell McClenaghan for the Champions Trophy but has admitted playing time will be hard to come by for the pair

Andrew McGlashan18-Feb-2017New Zealand are keen to consider injury-hit quick bowlers Adam Milne and Mitchell McClenaghan for the Champions Trophy but head coach Mike Hesson has conceded that getting them enough cricket to prove their fitness will be a challenge.Both players have spent considerable time on the sidelines. Milne, the right-arm fast bowler, has not played since one appearance at the IPL last year due to hamstring, side and elbow injuries while McClenaghan, the left-armer, has recently been out with an ankle problem, following eye and pelvis injuries in 2016.New Zealand are unbeaten at home in ODI cricket this season, following series victories against Bangladesh and Australia during which Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson have provided the pace support to Trent Boult and Tim Southee. They are the four frontline quicks on duty for the series against South Africa which starts in Hamilton on Sunday.Milne and McClenaghan were part of the World Cup squad in 2015 – Milne was a regular in the side until injury ended his tournament after the quarter-final – but the pair’s previous international appearance together came last March, in the World T20 semi-final against England.”Our one-day side has been relatively settled but we’ve had some pinnacle events where we’ve tried to put our best team on the park, such as the Chappell-Hadlee, but we do have some players coming back from injury as well who will need to be considered,” Hesson said. “It will be challenging because there’s not a heck of a lot of cricket for them to play, but the likes of Milne and McClenaghan will certainly have to come into consideration.”Milne was due to make his comeback for a New Zealand XI against the South Africans but the T20 warm-up match was washed out. The challenge for both the fast bowlers, in terms of pushing their cases for the ODI squad, is that the remainder of the domestic season is purely Plunket Shield – the four-day competition – now that the Ford Trophy has been completed.The situation is made more acute in that neither player has made a first-class appearance since December 2015. Both were among the retained players with their IPL franchises for the 2017 edition.However, there is an outside chance that Milne could appear for Central Districts in the Plunket Shield before the end of the season. Last week, their coach Heinrich Malan told the : “There might be an opportunity and we have him on specific workloads to build up that resilience. It’s not just bowling but spending time on the park for four days. We believe that’s something Adam would benefit from and hopefully that falls in with plans from the Black Caps to get over that line.”The New Zealand attack that is currently on the park produced a mixed bag in the T20 against South Africa at Eden Park. Trent Boult, who had claimed 6 for 33 to help clinch the Chappell-Hadlee series earlier this month, continued his fine form with 2 for 8 off four overs but the rest of the bowling was inconsistent.”Trent’s been operating really well for us in the last month, he’s got a lot of confidence but to get 2 for 8 off four overs in a total of 185 is a real anomaly. He was exceptional,” Hesson said. “It’s a shame we weren’t quite able to back him up at other times but you have to recognise how good he was. I thought Colin de Grandhomme did a really good job but outside of that we were pretty loose and got hit both sides of the wicket.”Hesson was also encouraged by Ben Wheeler’s return to New Zealand colours this season, despite the seamer’s expensive returns on Friday.”He has been really good for us. He didn’t have his best day yesterday, but he’s certainly shown he has some really good skills in the T20 format and, hopefully, in general with the white ball moving forward,” he said.The outlook sounded less encouraging for batsman Colin Munro who bagged his third duck in four T20 innings when he was removed first ball by Chris Morris. His other score in that sequence was a century against Bangladesh, but Munro has already lost his place in the one-day squad and now faces a long wait to find out the future of his T20 position, with New Zealand’s next match in the format not until much later this year.”Colin is a matchwinner for us in T20s but there’s no doubt he’s a bit inconsistent,” Hesson said. “It’s something he knows he has to improve. Once he gets a start he’s able to make a major contribution but making that start is the toughest thing. He’s not involved in our one-day [team], so will be playing Plunket Shield and needs to score some runs to get that confidence back.”

For a split-second, Umesh Yadav’s heart was in his mouth. He’d had the key wicket of England’s innings clasped in his hands but appeared to have tossed it away in a celebratory gesture

Andrew Miller09-Nov-2016For a split-second, Umesh Yadav’s heart was in his mouth. He’d had the key wicket of England’s innings clasped in his hands but appeared to have tossed it away in a celebratory gesture reminiscent of Herschelle Gibbs’ infamous “dropping of the World Cup” at Headingley in 1999.This time, however, there was no reprieve for the opposition’s centurion. Whereas at Headingley 17 years ago, Steve Waugh went on to make a matchwinning 120 not out, in Rajkot Joe Root was sent on his way for 124, as Yadav ended a vital 179-run stand for England’s fourth wicket.The moment happened at blink-and-you-miss-it speed. Root, on the front foot, drove hard back towards Yadav’s knees, and in a single upwards motion, the bowler first wrapped his fingers round the ball then flung it skywards, but with less control than he might have desired.In a moment of panic, Yadav parried it over his head, peered back over his shoulder to locate the ball, then watched it flop to the turf near umpire Kumar Dharmasena. Root, understandably, stood his ground, but the batsman’s fate was effectively sealed from the moment that Dharmasena gave a soft signal to the third umpire, Rod Tucker, that he believed that Yadav had been in control of the ball for long enough, and therefore the catch was fair.The relevant part of the Law (19.4) states:”The act of making the catch, or of fielding the ball, shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with some part of a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control both over the ball and over his own movement.””I think the on-field umpire’s soft signal was the key,” Fraser Stewart, of the MCC, told ESPNcricinfo. “If he’d given a not-out soft signal, there was probably enough doubt to keep it as not out. However, as the soft signal was out, the on-field umpires must have been happy with it as their gut reaction and, had it been in a game with no reviews or referrals, they would have given it out.”Did he have complete control over the ball? In slow-motion you would probably say ‘yes’, but in real time it’s less clear. It could easily be argued either way.”The soft signal was introduced in response to concerns that TV replays, for all the benefits that they offer, don’t always show the full picture as experienced live out in the middle. Low catches, in particular, have often fallen victim to the phenomenon of “foreshortening”, as 3D events are replayed on 2D screens. In November 2014, the ICC introduced the concept of broadcasting the discussions between on-field and third umpires, to further demystify the process for viewers.”Decision-making is an important skill and one that should be applied at the highest level of the game,” umpire Simon Taufel told the Times of India recently. “So, the soft signal maintains the premise that the decision-making happens on field and not just left to technology to provide an outcome.”Root himself was phlegmatic about the incident. “I was so disgusted with the shot that – giving it the Arsene Wenger approach – I didn’t really see what was happening.”But having seen the slow-motion replay, it does look out. When it’s sped up it looks a bit strange, but I was very lucky to get an umpire’s call with an lbw earlier on and you have to take the rough with the smooth sometimes and just get on with it.”Additional reporting by George Dobell

After a strong chase of 198 by the top order of Canterbury, an effective last over from Andre Adams sealed an eight-run victory for Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2012
ScorecardAfter a strong chase of 198 from Canterbury’s top order, an effective last over from Andre Adams sealed an eight-run victory for Auckland at Eden Park. Needing 13 to win off the last five deliveries, Canterbury were able to score just four, as four wickets fell in the over. They had played responsibly till then – opener George Worker scored 68 off 53 deliveries, and No. 3 Dean Brownlie, who fell in the last over, scored 48. Towards the end Brendon Diamanti’s 29 off 16 balls helped keep Canterbury in the hunt, until the last over.The intimidating target was set thanks to a strong batting performance from Auckland, led by captain and wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins’ knock of 64 and middle-order batsman Colin de Gradhomme’s 60. The innings, after a shaky start at 17 for 2, was built on three partnerships – all at more than 9.50 runs per over – and at the culmination of the third stand, Auckland were a strong 168 for 5 in the 17th over. But then key wickets fell, and they fell short of reaching 200.Canterbury, on the other hand, got off to a commanding start, with their openers Bradley Cachopa and Worker scoring 47 in 5.1 overs together. One hundred and seventy runs were scored by the top four, yet Canterbury fell short of the target.This is their third consecutive loss in the HRV Cup. Their opponents, with their second consecutive win, stand third in the points table.

Two cricketers dominated the evenly-balanced opening day of the second unofficial Test match between England Lions and Australia A at Edgbaston

Paul Edwards at Edgbaston14-Aug-2012
ScorecardJames Harris made regular inroads although was expensive•Getty Images

Two cricketers dominated the evenly-balanced opening day of the second unofficial Test match between England Lions and Australia A at Edgbaston. One of them, Glamorgan’s James Harris, has been badly hampered by injury over the last year and is not mentioned too often when the full England side’s seam bowling requirements are discussed; yet he proved the timeless value of accuracy to take six wickets, two of them lbw and two bowled, as the Lions attack enjoyed success, but also conceded runs too freely, on a pitch which had been trimmed since it offered the seamers plenty of help in Monday’s CB40 game.The other player to catch the eye was Australia A captain Ed Cowan, who made 73 when the Birmingham wicket was at its liveliest and the England bowlers fresh. Cowan did not seem to be the obvious candidate to open his country’s batting early last November until hundreds in four successive matches won him a place in the team for the Boxing Day Test. So if the players have a moment to relax with a beer after this game, maybe Harris can compare notes on the virtues of persistence with a man who is nearly eight years his senior and who has paid his dues to make it.For the moment, they are on opposite sides in a short series which has been well contested throughout. And no one has fought harder than Cowan, whose 186-ball monument to patience on the opening day of the second match followed his 99 in last week’s encounter at Old Trafford. The Australia A captain has worked hard to fashion a successful technique in which every stroke seems carefully calibrated; even favoured shots, like the cover drive, are removed from his repertoire if they carry unacceptable levels of risk.It was in this manner that Cowan proceeded carefully to his 116-ball fifty, hitting four boundaries and, somewhat incongruously, lifting a bouncer from Harris over fine-leg for six. He seemed set for a century too, until James Tredwell won an lbw decision from Neil Mallender when Cowan attempted a sweep. The batsman had almost to drag himself from the crease and appeared less than enamoured with the decision. He may have had a point.By the time Cowan was fourth out, the total was 186 and Harris had started his good day’s work. That had begun with his twelfth ball of the morning when Liam Davis shouldered arms and was lbw for a 15-ball 24. Four overs later, Michael Klinger was also lbw although on this occasion the batsman was on the front foot, not that it saved him from Tim Robinson’s finger.Cowan and Phillip Hughes saw Australia A through to lunch on 106 for 2, although they did so in contrasting styles: Hughes was adventurous, cover-driving Matt Coles for two fours and clipping Ben Stokes’ final ball before the break though midwicket for another boundary; Cowan stuck to the method he knew and it served him well.Ten overs after the break, Hughes gave Harris his third wicket when he drove all too loosely and was caught by Joe Root at short cover for a 51 which had been filled with fine strokes, yet had exhibited an all too fallible method. The afternoon might have gone even better for the Lions had not Joe Burns been dropped by Samit Patel off Chris Woakes, who was in the middle of a fine nine-over spell which cost just 12 runs.Either side of Cowan’s dismissal, Burns steadied the ship for the tourists, reaching tea on 27 in one of those innings where one looks up at the scoreboard and wonders quite how the batsman has acquired his runs.The final session of play at Edgbaston was the most attractive of the day. Australia scored 110 runs for the loss of five wickets, three of them to Harris, who bowled Burns for 29 immediately after the resumption when the batsman played across the line. At the other end, the Kent offspinner James Tredwell epitomised the parsimonious spinner and he too got his reward, first when Tom Cooper edged his arm-ball to Kieswetter, and then ten overs later when Mitchell Johnson also snicked a ball to the keeper, though this delivery did turn.By the end of the day Tredwell’s figures were 19-7-35-3 and he has been the Lions best bowler in the series, albeit that he seems fated to be the supporting actor rather than the leading man.Dominating the stage in the last hour were Tim Paine and, inevitably perhaps, Harris. The Australian wicketkeeper-batsman restored the game to some sort of balance with a well-judged innings of 59 and a sensible eighth-wicket partnership of 51 with Nathan Coulter-Nile, who made 24. Both batsmen fell to Harris, though, Coulter-Nile hitting across the line and Paine caught down the leg side.These dismissals proved once and for all that it was to be the Welsh seamer’s day and he was honest enough to admit in the aftermath of success that other bowlers had deserved success too. Probably he was thinking of Woakes, who had Nathan Lyon dropped by Tredwell at slip in the last significant action of the evening session.

An outstanding rearguard 102 from Kane Williamson trumped Morne Morkel’s career-best figures of 6 for 23, as New Zealand held on for 80.4 overs to draw the third Test

The Report by Andrew Fernando26-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kane Williamson fought through hostile bowling to save the Test for New Zealand•Associated Press

An outstanding rearguard 102 from Kane Williamson negated Morne Morkel’s career-best figures of 6 for 23, as New Zealand held on for 80.4 overs to draw the third Test at the Basin Reserve. South Africa gifted Williamson two lives and the umpires one, but a flawless last session, much of it in the company of a courageous Doug Bracewell, ensured his side could glean positives from a difficult series, though they lost 1-0. New Zealand ended at 200 for 6, 189 short of the target they never attempted.The sparse Wellington crowd cheered every wicketless delivery, as the full day’s quota approached. Hampered by the loss of Ross Taylor, New Zealand had only nine wickets to play with, but Williamson and Bracewell, who played out 19.1 overs together ensured Mark Gillespie and Chris Martin were left unused. The Test had one final twist when the new ball became available with one over to bowl, but Vernon Philander could not break Bracewell, proving there were some things even he can’t to with the ball, despite having enhanced his fearsome reputation with each game this tour.

Smart stats

• Kane Williamson’s hundred was his second in Tests. It was also the 15th century by a New Zealand batsman against South Africa and the first since 2006.

• Since their readmission, South Africa have won seven of the eight series against New Zealand. The only drawn series was in 2003-04.

• Morne Morkel’s 6 for 23 was his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests and his first since his 5 for 20 against India in Centurion in 2010.

• Morkel’s 6 for 23 was the third-best bowling performance by a South African in Tests against New Zealand. It was also fifth on the list of top bowling performances by visiting bowlers in Wellington.

• AB de Villiers’ strike rate of 138.77 during his innings of 68 was his highest for a fifty-plus score in Tests. Overall, it was second on the list of highest strike rates for fifty-plus scores for South African batsmen.

South Africa added four clear-cut chances in the second innings to the five they’d missed yesterday. Alviro Petersen spilt Williamson on 10, diving to his right at gully only to palm it to the ground. The drop was particularly painful for Petersen who had appeared to take a low chance cleanly several overs before, only for the third umpire to deem Williamson not out, to South Africa’s surprise. AB de Villiers was the next culprit, dropping a low chance at second slip with Williamson on 22. Dean Brownlie then got a life from Graeme Smith, though he didn’t capitalise, adding no more runs before being dismissed and Bracewell was shelled late in the day, again by de Villiers at second slip.If Williamson had been fortunate to survive till tea, his batting through the final session was pure technique and application. Not having to contend with hooping outswing or biting turn, Williamson tuned his mind solely to blunting South Africa’s favourite weapon in the third Test: bounce. Picking the lifters early, he’d duck everything South Africa pitched in their own half. If the balls were fuller – just short of a length – he’d climb on his tip-toes, elbows always high, and punch the ball down into the off side. Yorkers came into vogue later in the session, but having seen Morkel unleash hell with those at the other end, he was prepared. He dug them out dutifully, turning down runs into the outfield to keep himself on strike.New Zealand’s now-abandoned four-seamer policy had been tried partly because Doug Bracewell’s first class career had promised runs at Test level. Until his 59-ball 20 here, he’d barely distinguished himself above Chris Martin as a batsman. Bracewell flirted dangerously outside off stump twice; once off Morkel and once off Steyn, and was dropped in the slips once, but otherwise willow met leather comfortably whenever a stroke was offered. He even ventured two consecutive fours either side of the stumps off Marchant de Lange in the last half hour, as South Africa grew desperate. With Bracewell’s defence seeming more secure with each stroke, Williamson no longer bothered shielding him from the strike towards the end.Williamson’s 228-ball vigil had begun when Brendon McCullum was dismissed in the fifth over. With Taylor undergoing surgery, Williamson had been promoted to No. 4, and his inexperience showed, as both he and Martin Guptill shut down their scoring almost completely for the duration of their partnership. Williamson’s first ten runs came from 55 deliveries, and with South Africa able to pool all their resources into attack, it was only a matter of time until the wicket came. Guptill edged Morkel to gully soon after lunch.Positivity eventually found its way into Williamson’s game, and he and Dean Brownlie resisted, making their second 50-run stand of the game. A serene straight drive off Vernon Philander was followed by consecutive sweeps to the fence off JP Duminy, and Williamson flew towards his second fifty of the series as the field relaxed somewhat. Kruger van Wyk contributed another gritty knock, holding the visitors at bay for 80 deliveries either side of tea, and was perhaps unlucky that Morkel stuck out his left hand on his follow-through to snatch a bludgeoned drive. He partnered Williamson for the longest time of his team-mates, as their stand ate up more than a quarter of the overs New Zealand batted out.South Africa were hamstrung by a pitch that had flattened out significantly throughout the Test, but would have been disappointed that in spite of all the missed chances, only Morkel was able to take wickets. Philander was threatening, as always, sticking methodically to the back-of-a-length and off-stump line that had reaped him so much success in the series, but having suffered at his hands so severely, New Zealand finally seemed capable of combating his threat – even if the pitch did much of this for them. Steyn was unlucky, as he has been all series. Most of the dropped chances in the match were off his bowling, and Steyn swung the ball early, at good pace, for no reward.Three of Morkel’s wickets came from searing yorkers. McCullum couldn’t get bat to one that would have hit leg stump, Brownlie let one slip beneath his bat and Daniel Vettori barely had time to register being at the crease before Morkel bowled him first ball. Late in the day, Morkel tried everything to dismiss Williamson and Bracewell, but the batsmen were resolute. An over of short balls was followed by one where he pitched full, but nothing worked.Smith vexingly wasted thirteen overs by using JP Duminy, who never looked like breaking through, though among his other regrets may be batting for too long at the start of the day. Though de Villiers made good use of the time they kept New Zealand in the field, making a 49-ball 68, perhaps 388 was far too conservative a lead, given New Zealand had not passed 300 in the series.

After four seasons of sweating it out in Indian domestic cricket, Ajinkya Rahane’s chance has finally arrived

Abhishek Purohit22-Aug-2011It took an injury to Virender Sehwag for Ajinkya Rahane to finally get a call-up to the national squad after four seasons of sweating it out in Indian domestic cricket. Fresh off a successful tour of Australia with the India Emerging Players squad, he’s now headed to England for the five-match ODI series. “It is a dream come true for me,” Rahane told ESPNcricinfo. “I have been waiting for this moment for very long, and finally it has arrived.”If having his efforts being repeatedly ignored has hurt, Rahane does not show it. “I have focussed only on my game and my performance all along,” he said. “I just know that I have to keep making runs consistently. The more the competition from other players, it only serves to motivate you, and it is a good thing.”With a first-class average of 67.72 and a List A average of 38.61, Rahane has seen several players leapfrog him into the national side on the basis of meteoric IPL performances. He has shrugged his shoulders and gone back to making runs for Mumbai, firmly believing that the sheer weight of runs would one day tilt the scales in his favour.That day has arrived, but Rahane has learnt the hard way to remain grounded. “I know that it is only the beginning. I will have to work doubly hard from now and keep focussed.”‘Focus’ is a word that Rahane admits to using a lot. It is also a useful ability that he has developed over the years. Many Indians have scored a hundred on first-class debut. Not many have done so in Pakistan, where Rahane hit 143 for Mumbai against Karachi Urban in the Mohammad Nissar Trophy in September 2007. In his second Ranji Trophy season, he racked up 1089 runs with four hundreds as Mumbai won yet another title but the selectors weren’t interested.He made 809 runs in the next Ranji season but the selectors preferred Cheteshwar Pujara – Rahane’s closest competitor in scorching the domestic run-charts – for the home Test series against Australia in 2010. Rahane responded with an unbeaten hundred in the tour match against the visitors and, a week later, scored 191 against the Rest of India in the Irani Cup. He also struck 84 and 95 in the one-day Challenger Trophy immediately after. A couple of days after that, the selectors picked Shikhar Dhawan, Saurabh Tiwary and M Vijay for the ODIs against Australia.Even now, he may or may not make his ODI debut for India in England, but will cherish being part of a side that includes both his idols – Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid – together for the first time. Previously, Tendulkar has been a team-mate at Mumbai and Mumbai Indians, while Dravid shared the Rajasthan Royals dressing room with him during the last IPL season. Those experiences have helped in building up his patience. “Sachin and Rahul have always been my idols. There has been so much to learn from them.”

It is a year to the week since Jonathan Trott made his Test debut in the Ashes decider at The Oval, and after a year of highs and lows that would have tested the mettle of any cricketer, he is back at the scene of his finest hour

Andrew Miller at The Oval16-Aug-2010It is a year to the week since Jonathan Trott made his Test debut in the Ashes decider at The Oval, and after a year of highs and lows that would have tested the mettle of any cricketer, he is back at the scene of his finest hour, and in arguably the most liberated frame of mind since that remarkable week last August.Trott’s travails have been among the most documented of any of the England squad in the past 12 months. The ice-cool character who compiled twin scores of 41 and 119 on debut against Australia gave way with alarming haste last winter to a fidgety imposter whose temperament appeared to buckle during a tough return to his native South Africa, in particular when his peculiar and time-consuming rituals at the crease were dragged into the media spotlight.But despite regular jibes about the security of his role, Trott’s value to the England team was in full evidence at Edgbaston last week when, in front of his home crowd, he compiled half-centuries in each innings to ensure that England did not squander the advantage that their bowlers had earned in bowling Pakistan out for 72 on the first morning. No other batsman came close to matching the calm authority that he brought to his game, and on the eve of his return to The Oval to face Pakistan, it feels as though his career has come full circle.”The last time I sat here it was a lot fuller,” Trott joked as he returned to the press briefing room in the Oval pavilion. “It’s been a year full of memories, starting here. In that time I’ve been working really hard on my game to improve as a player and contribute to winning matches and series for England. I think I’m a better player now. It may be a cliché, but I feel I’ve learned a lot from my experiences, and there are things I probably do differently now, or take a different approach to.”Regardless of the mixed reception that Trott has received since his elevation to the Test side, there’s no arguing with the numbers he has crunched in that time. In 11 Tests he has racked up 923 runs at 51.27, while contributing to eight victories – including six in a row since the tour of Bangladesh in March – and just a solitary defeat, in Johannesburg in January. The manner in which his confidence has grown has mirrored that of the team as a whole, and he credits the management pairing of Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss for cultivating an atmosphere of inclusivity.”Coming into a team is like getting a new job,” said Trott. “You have to find your role in the team and the dressing room, and all of the background stuff is just as important as what you see on the pitch. But Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss have a big emphasis on pulling the new players in and putting an arm around them. It’s certainly not a feeling of being thrown in at the deep end and seeing if you can swim. It’s put more positively. ‘You can succeed at this level, you’re good enough so go and take your chance’.”Leaving aside his brief and unsuccessful stint in the Twenty20 set-up in 2007, Trott’s first taste of the England environment came ahead of the fourth Test at Headingley last summer, when he linked up with the squad amid concerns about Andrew Flintoff’s fitness, but was eventually released before the match got underway. “I came down to have a drink with Andy and Straussy and I was made very welcome,” he recalled. “It wasn’t just a case of ‘here’s your room key, see you at practice’.”Missing that Headingley match turned out to be a blessing for Trott. England were routed by an innings inside three days, but instead of getting wrapped up in the post-mortem, he was able to save his energies for his remarkable rescue mission in the fifth and final Test. “I was fresh and excited, and champing at the bit to succeed and do well for the team,” he said. “The other guys had been on an emotional rollercoaster and were so tired after the fifth game, so I had come in quite fresh and raring to go, so in hindsight that helped.”A feature of Trott’s performance in that Oval Test was his purposeful footwork. He strode forward to the pacemen and spinners alike, and in so doing exuded a confidence that belied his debutant status. Some of that same authority was on display on a treacherous surface at Edgbaston last week, as Trott set himself to dominate where others remained diffident.”Moving my feet well and in a positive manner expresses what I want to express, meaning good body language and good intent,” said Trott. “I use the word intent a lot when I think about my batting, and when I’m at the crease I think ‘is my intent right here, have I got my focus where I want it to be?’ Intent to score runs is just as important as intent to leave and be defensive. Leaving the ball with minimal footwork is just as bad as playing and missing with minimal footwork.”Alastair Cook would doubtless relate to that sentiment, after another iffy display at Edgbaston took his summer tally to 100 runs in seven innings. His match ended when he was trapped on the crease by Mohammad Amir on the fourth and final morning, and though he boosted his morale by smacking a carefree 38 from 22 balls for Essex in the t20 semi-final on Saturday, his place in the team is unquestionably on the line.Trott, however, offered his support and sympathy, after he himself had been forced to reaffirm his credentials following the tour of South Africa. “At the beginning of the Bangladesh series I was probably where he is now,” said Trott. “It’s only four Test matches since then, so it’s amazing how things change. But whenever I see Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss at the crease I feel very secure, so I’m sure he’ll be fine.”