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Dom Bess joins on loan as visitors are made to toil on hot day at Chelmsford

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2023Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence, England past and present, combined for an imperious double-century stand that put Essex firmly in control of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Warwickshire.Lawrence, allowed to play by England on the proviso he is ready to scuttle down to Lord’s if required, when he will be replaced in the Essex line-up by nominated substitute Nick Browne, gave full range to his shots in an immaculate 152, his second century of the season.The third-wicket pair put on 227 in 59 overs of elegant stroke-play until Westley dragged Ed Barnard to short midwicket. His 193-ball 114 took his season’s tally to 739 runs, by far the most of any player in Division One.Matt Critchley upped the tempo with 47 from 43 balls in a 70-run stand with Lawrence, who finally departed after five and a half hours, 225 balls and 15 fours, a second victim for Warwickshire loanee Dom Bess. By the close, Essex had amassed 391 for sevenWestley had won the toss on a green-tinged Chelmsford wicket used previously for a one-day international between Bangladesh and Ireland, and consigned Warwickshire to a sweaty day under floppy sunhats in the field.The captain found himself at the wicket at the end of the first over after Feroze Khushi – replacing Browne at the top of the order – dabbed at a ball from Chris Rushworth and nicked behind.Lawrence joined Westley five overs later to resurrect Essex from 20 for two after Alastair Cook was tucked up by Hassan Ali and also went caught behind.Warwickshire had lost spinner Danny Briggs when he limped out of the Blast last week with a hamstring injury and acted quickly by bringing in Bess on loan from Yorkshire.Westley took a liking to the one-time England spinner and cracked two fours through the covers before bouncing down the wicket and striking him over midwicket for another boundary. Bess toiled in the sun and ended the first day of his Warwickshire spell with figures of 32-1-143-2.Westley passed fifty for the sixth time in the Championship this season when he drove his 72nd ball to mid-on for a single. It was marginally quicker – by two balls – than Lawrence’s third score beyond fifty this year.The partnership was worth 99 at lunch and clicked on to three figures from 150 balls straight after. By tea, another 128 runs were added in 34 overs.In between, Lawrence was showing what Essex will miss when he moves to Surrey at the end of the season. There was a glorious off-drive to the fence off Hassan Ali and then an effortless straight-drive off the Pakistan bowler.Warwickshire had also brought in the 30-year-old wrist spinner Jake Lintott at the expense of Olly Hannon-Dalby for only his second first-class appearance. Westley took a liking to him, too. Indeed, his 17th boundary, driven through the covers, took him to his century from 154 balls.Lawrence’s ton also came from 154 balls when he flicked Will Rhodes through midwicket for his 11th four.After Westley’s four-hour stay ended to the first ball after tea, Critchley took up the cudgels, punishing Barnard for his audacity in removing the captain with three boundaries in an over.A six straight back over Bess’s head by Critchley brought up the fifty partnership in just 10 overs. But the ball after he had deposited Lintott over midwicket for a second maximum, he presented the spinner with his first red-ball wicket by slashing a skyer to backward point. He later added Simon Harmer, caught behind, to return figures of 2 for 56In between, Bess took a debut wicket when he had Paul Walter chipping to short mid-on, but was then reverse-swept for the four that brought up Lawrence’s 150. However, Bess claimed Lawrence’s scalp when he flicked a catch off his legs

It’s been a dozen years since his debut, but the Australia captain admits he’s still coming to grips with the format

Firdose Moonda11-Oct-20231:39

Cummins: ‘It’s a clash of two very similar teams’

The strategies involved in structuring a spell in ODIs still present Pat Cummins with a conundrum he is keen to conquer, 12 years after making his debut in the format. That may seem a strange takeaway from an engagement with an Australian captain under some pressure after his team’s defeat to India and their struggles against spin, but it’s a small example of a bigger picture that we will be talking about all tournament: the future of this format.We don’t even need to go through the proposals to scrap bilateral ODIs and confine the format to World Cups only, because in Cummins, we have a ready example. He had only played 19 matches between the last World Cup and this one; and including Australia’s defeat to India in their World Cup opener this time, he has played only three this year, and just 78 across a dozen years. The consequence is that it has taken him longer than it may otherwise have to feel confident in his tactical approach to ODIs.”Early in my career, I found it a hard balance between Test cricket and T20, and I was getting too funky,” Cummins said at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, the day before Australia prepared to play South Africa. “With one-day cricket, your roles can be very different – from being an opening bowler with a ball that swings, to coming on first change and maybe bowling cross-seamers where you are trying to defend and get your wickets through pressure. It’s a different kind of challenge to the other formats.”Related

• De Kock's relationship with ODIs is complicated, but it's clear he cares

• Storied World Cup rivals joust again but it is Australia under pressure

• Maxwell: Australia ready for 'unknown' from relaid Lucknow surface

• Defensive Australia burnt by India's spin trio in Chepauk furnace

It is also what Cummins called “the most physically taxing” of the three formats, because as we know from the ICC slogan – it really, truly takes one day. One. Whole. Day. Although the duration of a Test and the intensity of an T20 can’t be matched in an ODI, the amount of time spent on the feet and the kilometres run in the legs will be more than both the other versions of the game.”The biggest challenge is that you’ve got ten overs [to bowl]. It’s quite a physical format,” Cummins said of ODIs. “I find it the most physically taxing if you are doing two or three games in a week. We are doing 15k (kilometres) in a 50-over match.”And then there’s the trade-off between consistency and creativity that must come into play in one-day cricket, where some level of patience is required alongside a touch of all-out attack.”In T20, if you bowl one really good over that can be match-winning. But in one-day cricket, it’s not normally the case,” Cummins said. “And it’s rare that conditions are in the bowlers’ favour, which is fine. It’s just a challenge you’ve got to try and deal with. It’s tough but I do enjoy it.”Cummins expects at least one of those things will get easier on Thursday, when he thinks there will be pace and bounce on offer on a surface that remains something of a mystery. Only four ODIs have been played at the Ekana Stadium so far, with the highest score batting first being 249 in a full 50-over innings. Three of those ODIs were played in 2019, with one held last October, but the pitches have since been dug up and relaid.On Thursday, Australia play South Africa in Lucknow, where the pitches have been dug up and relaid•Getty Images

Cummins also feels his own form is “in as good a place as it’s ever been”, and backs himself to be “almost be prepared for anything”, including maybe “death bowling”. Against a South Africa line-up that is in good form, he also expects that he may have to try “to create a wicket out of nothing”, even as unorthodoxy is also something he has been working on.All that does not take away from his inexperience as ODI captain – since being named ODI captain in October last year, he has played only five out of Australia’s 15 ODIs – and the problems Australia have to solve in the middle overs. That’s where they lost the game against India, after they slipped from 110 for 2 in the 28th over to 199 all out.It’s something the batting group, under the guidance of Andy Flower, who has also been Lucknow Super Giants’ coach – the IPL team whose home ground is the Ekana Stadium – have been discussing, and much like Cummins’ own conclusions about bowling, it’s a balance between formats they’re seeking.”It’s no secret that the [middle-overs] period of the game seems to be the most important in one-day cricket,” Cummins said. “How do we create partnerships? If they’re bowling well, how do we shift the pressure back on to their bowlers, and try and force their hand to make some changes? It’s a real delicate balance in one-day cricket of not taking huge risks, but it’s not like Test cricket where you can wait it out. You have to keep the run rate ticking over.”The middle overs are also thought to be the hill on which ODI cricket may die, unless the narrative that unfolds in that passage is captivating even if nuanced. As Cummins hinted, those overs are the Goldilocks of the game where players are required to not do too much of one thing or too little of another, and for Australia, it’s about finding out how much is just right.

The Australian spinners picked up seven wickets between them, but finished with economy rates higher than four in the tour game against India A in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2017
ScorecardThe Australian spinners got through a heavy workload – 28.5 overs for Nathan Lyon and 24 overs for Steve O’Keefe – and picked up seven wickets between them. But there might still be some issues to address. Both men could manage only three maidens each and finished with unflattering economy rates – Lyon’s was 5.61 and O’Keefe’s 4.20.A major reason for their troubles was Shreyas Iyer, who smashed his highest first-class score of 202 in only 210 balls with 27 fours and seven sixes, that’s 150 runs in boundaries. A minor reason could be that the pitch at Brabourne stadium was quite batting friendly. There were 982 runs scored for the loss of only 21 wickets over the three days of the tour game, which ended in a draw.There were a few high-profile players who couldn’t contribute much to that bounty. David Warner was dismissed for 25 in the first innings and 35 in the second. His opening partner Matt Renshaw had similarly low returns – 10 and 11. Glenn Maxwell – fighting for the allrounder’s spot in the Test XI – made 16 not out at No. 8 but when he was promoted to No. 3 on Sunday he was bowled for 1.Against this backdrop though, two of the India A players made their career best scores. Iyer was unbeaten, spending more than five hours at the crease. Plenty of that time was in the company of Karnataka offspinner K Gowtham, who made 74 off 68 balls with 10 fours and four sixes, that’s 64 runs in boundaries. They put on 138 for the seventh wicket at 6.08 per over. It was the second-highest partnership of the match behind Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh’s 156 in the first innings.

Pakistan seamer will provide fast-bowling cover with Naveen-ul-Haq still involved at the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2023Leicestershire have signed Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah on a short-term deal for the start of the Vitality Blast.Naseem will act as cover for Afghanistan overseas Naveen-ul-Haq, who is currently involved in the IPL play-offs with Lucknow Super Giants. Naseem was due to arrive in England on Tuesday and be available for Leicestershire’s Blast opener against Lancashire on Thursday.”Having Naveen in the IPL play-offs meant we had to make a quick call and we are extremely excited to have secured someone of Naseem’s calibre,” Leicestershire Director of Cricket, Claude Henderson, said.”He’s proven to be a world-class performer in T20 cricket, and we look forward to seeing him in a Leicestershire shirt shortly.”Leicestershire start their campaign with back-to-back games, away to Lancashire and then at home to Warwickshire, followed by a trip to Worcestershire on Monday. Should Lucknow reach Sunday’s IPL final, then it is likely Naveen would miss all three fixtures.Naseem featured for Gloucestershire in the Blast last season, taking five wickets in three games. He was also signed by Welsh Fire to play in the Hundred, but withdrew due to international commitments.Naseem said: “I’m very excited to be joining the Foxes for the start of the Vitality Blast. I can’t wait to meet my team-mates and help win games for Leicestershire.”

Barring the possibility of a draw, one of these teams will become the joint-quickest to their first Test win besides Australia back in 1877

The Preview by Danyal Rasool14-Mar-2019

Big Picture

This is the first time these two sides play each other in Tests, but in many ways, this could become the most likely fixture going forward in the format. When, in an act of surprising munificence for a governing body that famously prefers its club as exclusive as possible, the ICC-accorded Full Member – and as a result Test – status, to Afghanistan and Ireland in June 2017, the only worry was whether the two would actually get to play five-day cricket.Thus far, that concern remains naggingly pertinent. Both Afghanistan and Ireland are due to play just their second Test match in the 21 months since that approval. Ireland were the first to open their account when Pakistan played a one-off Test in May last year, before India hosted Afghanistan for their first game the following month.This may become the new Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh. In an ever more condensed FTP (Future Tours Programme), not to mention the explosion of T20 leagues across the globe, it is unlikely too many of the traditional Full Members will be allocating much time in their calendars to take on one of these two in the longest format. It simply isn’t lucrative enough, or – some of the bigger boys may believe – challenging enough to make it worth their while.But let there be no doubt about it, this is a huge fixture in the context of Test cricket. Barring the possibility of a draw, one of these teams will become the first new Test match winners since 2005, and the joint-quickest to their first Test win besides Australia in the first ever Test in 1877.Playing at “home” in Dehradun, India, Afghanistan will feel it must surely be their time. The squad comprises a young team – six players in the squad are under 21 – but some of the stalwarts of the first global generation of Afghan cricket are still around. Asghar Afghan is captain, while Mohammad Shahzad and Mohammad Nabi are also part of the side.Ireland ran Pakistan uncomfortably close in their first Test, and but for a few moments on the final day, they may already have come into this fixture with a Test win under their belt. This tour, however, didn’t begin nearly as auspiciously as to suggest it would end with a Test win, but following on from a record-breaking demolition in the T20I series, they have begun to get into this tour just as the all-important final fixture of the tour rolls around. They came from behind twice to level the ODI series 2-2, and will feel they have enough momentum and confidence to not simply be the stepping stone for an Afghan celebration.

Form guide

Afghanistan L
Ireland L

In the spotlight

There is a particular moment when a Test nation must finally undo its safety harness and move on. For Afghanistan, that moment may arrive after Mohammad Nabi decides to hang up his gloves. The 34-year old has been ever-present in Afghanistan’s side since the 2010 World T20 that first allowed the country an international cricketing forum, and the two-day Test match against India was hardly any introduction a cricketer of his commitment deserved. With a more realistic shot at salvation approaching, Nabi’s form is timed especially well. No Afghan player will have envisioned this game in their mind more often than him, or put in the work to help ensure it even happens. If there is any justice in world cricket (and you’d be brave to argue for the motion), then expect Nabi to play a starring role in the Test starting Friday.Rashid Khan celebrates Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket•BCCI

The lush green fields of Malahide and the dark grey skies above in the place where Pakistan were given such an almighty scare is a world removed from the challenges they will need to neuter in Dehradun. Fast bowlers Tim Murtagh Boyd Rankin, and Stuart Thompson took every Pakistan wicket that fell to a bowler in Malahide, but here, the spinners will have a far more important role to play.But where Afghanistan have arguably the world’s hottest young spinner among their ranks in Rashid Khan, there simply isn’t enough evidence Ireland have the spin threat to provide appropriate competition in that department. It may mean the quicker bowlers have a daunting few days of work ahead of them, and whether they have the fitness and the heart to put their bodies on the line may go a long way to deciding the ultimate outcome of the Test.

Team news

Afghanistan’s 14-member squad has several members who played the Test against India. Mujeeb ur Rehman, however, is a notable absentee. Left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan and left-arm seam bowler Sayed Shirzad have been added to the squad. Their ace spinner Rashid Khan is nursing an injured right middle-finger, but will play despite it. On Thursday, he batted and then went to the physio and only had a short stint with the ball, all the while being cautious. Even when he went off, he walked off with the finger in ice.Afghanistan (squad): Asghar Afghan (capt), Mohammad Shahzad, Ihsanullah Janat, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Nasir Jamal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhail, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Wafadar Momand, Yamin Ahmadzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Waqar Salamkhail, Zahir Khan, Sayed Shirzad.The sense that the first rebuild of the squad is already here for Ireland after their first Test is palpable. Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien have retired, while Gary Wilson is still out of the side with a condition that affects his vision.Ireland (squad): William Porterfield (capt), Andy Balbirnie, James Cameron Dow, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James Mccollum, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Stuart Poynter (wk), Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Lorcan Tucker

Pitch and conditions

The conditions over the next five days seem ideal for Test cricket, with plenty of sunshine. Inclement weather should not interrupt this match.

Stats and trivia

• Once this Test gets underway, all 12 Test nations will have played at least one home and away Test. Afghanistan, however, will play this “home” Test in the same country as the one where they played their only away Test: India
• Londonderry-born Boyd Rankin has played as many Tests for England as he has for his native country – one. While with Ireland, he ran Pakistan close in the most recent one, his debut with England was more of a lopsided contest, with Australia bowling England away by 281 runs to complete a 5-0 Ashes clean sweep in 2014

Quotes

“It is a moment of pride that Afghanistan hosts its first Test match and it carries a lot of meaning for us. Although, we lost our inaugural Test match to India last year, we will aim to play in the upcoming Test match with full strength.”
“First and foremost, it will be completely different conditions [in the Test match] – our first Test match against Pakistan was a home game in Malahide in May whereas we are in Dehradun here in India in March. We will see how the pitch is in the next couple of days and expect it not to be very different.”

Club to face CDC hearings next week charged with bringing game into disrepute

Matt Roller23-Feb-2023Yorkshire have pleaded guilty to a charge of destroying or losing data and documents relating to allegations of racism made against the club.The ECB confirmed this week that Yorkshire had admitted four charges “including a failure to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language over a prolonged period and a failure to take adequate action in respect of allegations of racist and/or discriminatory behaviour”.The reported on Wednesday that the specific admissions included a guilty plea to a charge that evidence relating to allegations of racist abuse, made by Azeem Rafiq, had been destroyed.The club confirmed the report on Thursday morning ahead of next week’s Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) hearings, where a panel will hear disciplinary proceedings brought by the ECB against Yorkshire and seven ex-players.”It has been reported in a number of news outlets that, in relation to the Cricket Discipline Commission inquiry, the club has admitted a charge of deletion of data and documents,” Yorkshire wrote to members on Thursday.Related

• Azeem Rafiq: 'Cricket is in denial' about problem of racism

• Yorkshire chair Lord Kamlesh Patel set to stand down

• Yorkshire admit liability on racism charges as Richard Pyrah pulls out of process

• Azeem Akhtar won't return as Essex chair after independent review clears him of racism

“The CDC proceedings are ongoing and, as such, we are limited as to what we can say at this time. However, we are writing to reassure members reading these reports to let them know that no personal data relating to members of the club was compromised.”Yorkshire said that following Lord Kamlesh Patel’s appointment as chair, “it was discovered that emails and documents, both held electronically by the club and in paper copy, had been irretrievably deleted from both servers and laptops and otherwise destroyed.”After a thorough independent investigation it was established that the deletion and destruction of documents date from a time period prior to the appointment of Lord Patel and relate to the allegations of racism and the club’s response to those allegations. The club is not prepared to conjecture publicly as to why this occurred, who was responsible or the motivation for doing so.”The club said that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the ECB were “informed of the position”. The ICO took no action, while the ECB brought a charge “on the basis that the conduct (deletion/destruction) may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket and/or which may bring the ECB and/or the game of cricket into disrepute”.Yorkshire added: “The club has admitted this charge, as there was no viable defence in these circumstances. We wished to let members know the position at the earliest opportunity we were able to and to allay concerns about the integrity of members’ data, which the club believes is secure.”The CDC hearings take place from March 1-9 in London. Gary Ballance has admitted liability in response to a charge of using “racially discriminatory language” while Tim Bresnan, John Blain, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah have all withdrawn from the proceedings.Michael Vaughan is the only remaining defendant.

With Burger, Williams and Nortje also injured, SA may need to dig deep into their reserves to fill a fast-bowling position for the Champions Trophy

Firdose Moonda17-Jan-2025 • Updated on 19-Jan-2025South Africa’s bowling stocks have taken another hit after Gerald Coetzee, who was expected to be named as Anrich Nortje’s replacement in the the Champions Trophy squad, missed Joburg Super Kings’ match against Pretoria Capitals with a hamstring injury on Thursday and was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the SA20 on SundayCSA, however, said Coetzee “remains in contention for selection” for the Champions Trophy and that a decision on his inclusion would be made in the first week of February. The deadline for submitting the final squads to the ICC is February 11.Coetzee had played JSK’s previous match against Durban’s Super Giants at Kingsmead, which was his first competitive game since the Test against Sri Lanka in Durban, where he injured his groin. He was ruled out of the rest of the international summer, after he had come back from a hip niggle and a 12-week conditioning block. He did not play any cricket between a game at the MLC in July (his only one in the competition) and a domestic match for the Titans in October. Then, he appeared fitter and faster than before, playing in all four of South Africa’s T20I fixtures against India, and took 4 for 85 in the first Test against Sri Lanka before he was ruled out again.Related

• Ryan Rickelton, the new showstopper at Newlands

• Jury's out on South Africa's Champions Trophy picks as SA20 provides selection pointers

• Rassie van der Dussen consciously evolves his white-ball game amid injury scare

• Back injury rules Nortje out of Champions Trophy

It was confirmed by South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter that Coetzee had been in line for a Champions Trophy place but left out in favour of the more experienced Nortje. With Nortje sidelined with a back problem and Coetzee now injured as well, Walter, who is the sole selector of the team, will have to mine the depths of the reserves.With Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder already in the squad, Walter could look to 18-year old tearaway Kwena Maphaka or South Africa’s most recent ODI cap, Corbin Bosch, if he is looking for pace or may have to move away from that entirely. Death-bowling specialist Ottneil Baartman is another option with almost everyone else in contention currently injured.Nandre Burger will not return to action this summer after suffering a lower-back stress fracture while Lizaad Williams is recovering from knee surgery. Daryn Dupavillon, who was playing for Pretoria Capitals, is also ruled out of the SA20 with a hamstring concern.Dupavillon is the eighth seamer to be injured this summer. The others were Ngidi (groin), Coetzee, Mulder (broken finger), Nortje (broken toe, then back), Williams, Baartman and Burger. Barring Burger, Nortje, Williams and now, Coetzee, the others have returned to action.

Wanindu Hasaranga’s availability key as RCB seek to bounce back after defeat against Knight Riders

Alagappan Muthu09-Apr-20234:47

Shastri: Wood should be a handful in Bengaluru

Big picture: The thing with RCB…

Virat Kohli chose a good moment – their homecoming – to highlight that Royal Challengers Bangalore are part of IPL royalty. He said, outside of Chennai Super Kings (11) and Mumbai Indians (9), they are the team that has made it to the playoffs the most times (8).But the wider IPL fraternity – and indeed some of Royal Challengers’ fans – won’t find any solace in that because of the ways in which the team’s fortunes swing. They began this season by tapping Mumbai on the head and tossing them off to the side, but then they went to Kolkata and basically enabled a blasterclass from a No. 7 batter. They bowled length in the death with mid-off up. What was Shardul Thakur to do? Not score 68 off 29 balls which turned 89 for 5 to 204 for 7?Related

• Topley out of IPL 2023 with shoulder injury, Parnell named replacement

• Amit Mishra, 40 and looking it, brings Lucknow the warm and fuzzy

• Krunal: 'I am in a good headspace, I have much more clarity'

These reverses, which happen as a result of mostly avoidable mistakes, make the Royal Challengers a bit of a frustrating team to follow, let alone plan for, which is what Lucknow Super Giants have to do.KL Rahul will be coming home to Bengaluru for the first time in four IPLs – and only the third time ever as an opposition player. He’s yet to win a match as a visitor to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and in some ways, the chances of that happening may be tied to how well he manages his overseas resources, especially now that Quinton de Kock is available and Kyle Mayers is undroppable(ish).Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli shared a big stand in RCB’s opening game•BCCI

Team news: Will de Kock and Hasaranga play?

Prior to the start of IPL 2023, Super Giants would’ve been fairly confident of their overseas combination. De Kock for firepower at the top. Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis for firepower at the death, and Mark Wood for firepower with the ball. But now that Mayers has casually thumped 139 runs in three innings at a higher strike rate (187.83) than any of the top 15 scorers in the tournament so far, there is a decision to be made. Avesh Khan is carrying an injury, and Wood missed the last game with flu.Royal Challengers were expecting Wanindu Hasaranga to arrive on April 10 – which is match day – following the conclusion of a white-ball series in New Zealand, where he picked up figures of 11-0-93-2 in three T20Is. If he is ready to start, he might even be able to lessen the burden on their death bowers because his wickets in the middle overs could mean the seamers may be left dealing with lesser batters at the end of the innings. Josh Hazlewood faces a longer stretch on the sidelines, with the Australia quick likely to be available for the April 17 game against Super Kings. Wayne Parnell has replaced the injured Reece Topley.

Toss and Impact Player Strategy

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers are yet to bat first in IPL 2023, and should this be when it happens, they might consider bringing in Suyash Prabhudessai and swapping him out for Mohammed Siraj later in the game.Probable bat-first XI: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Suyash Prabhudessai, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga/Michael Bracewell, 8 David Willey, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Karn Sharma, 11 Akash DeepProbable bowl-first XI: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Shahbaz Ahmed, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Wanindu Hasaranga/Michael Bracewell, 7 David Willey, 8 Karn Sharma, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Mohammed SirajCan KL Rahul make his homecoming sweeter?•BCCI

Lucknow Super Giants
Ayush Badoni appears to have become a specialist Impact Player for Super Giants. He went out for K Gowtham in the first, came in for Avesh in the second, and went out for Amit Mishra in the third. The sequence is likely to continue.Probable bat-first XI: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Quinton de Kock (wk), 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Nicholas Pooran, 7 Ayush Badoni, 8 Romario Shepherd/Mark Wood, 9 Yash Thakur, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Jaydev UnadkatProbable bowl-first XI: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Quinton de Kock (wk), 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Nicholas Pooran, 7 Amit Mishra, 8 Romario Shepherd/Mark Wood, 9 Yash Thakur, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Jaydev Unadkat

Stats that matter: RCB death bowlers under pressure

• Since IPL 2022, Royal Challengers have the worst economy rate (11) in the final five overs of the innings. This is primarily because the options they turn to at this stage of the game have not been able to execute their skills well enough. Siraj’s economy rate of 13.4 is the worst among everyone who has bowled at least ten overs in the death since the last IPL. Even Harshal Patel, who will become the quickest Indian bowler to 100 IPL wickets if he picks up one more over the next two innings, has struggled with this task. He has conceded ten runs an over or more in seven of his last 10 T20s.
• If he has recovered from his illness, Super Giants may want to keep Wood away from the new ball because Kohli has hit 46 against the England quick in just 19 balls in all T20 cricket. They have plenty of other favourable match-ups, though. Krunal Pandya (79 off 80 balls, one dismissal), Jaydev Unadkat (52 off 46) and Ravi Bishnoi (23 off 23 balls). Avesh has done the best against Kohli (5 runs off ten balls and two dismissals), but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play on Monday.
• Glenn Maxwell vs Amit Mishra will be fun. The Australian has smashed 66 runs in 35 balls in all T20s, but in the process, the Indian has picked up his wicket five times. Maxwell has also been susceptible to left-arm spin in the IPL: his average of 22.9 is the second-lowest for anyone who has faced at least 200 balls of this kind of bowling. Someone should pass Krunal the note.
• There has been a noticeable shift in Faf du Plessis’ batting in the powerplay this season. His strike rate of 158 from two matches is significantly higher than the 105 he managed all through 2022, when he was also dismissed in this phase of play seven times in 16 innings.

Pitch and conditions

The average first-innings IPL score in Bengaluru since 2018 is 183. In the same period, statistics suggest spinners have had a better time keeping the runs down here than the quicks (economy rate 8.1 vs 9.8). It remains the most sixer-friendly ground in the IPL, averaging 18 per match over the last five seasons.

These are tough times for Hampshire and their coach, Dale Benkenstein, is trying to find a way to reinvigorate the season of Michael Carberry to aid a relegation fight

Freddie Wilde at the Ageas Bowl28-Jun-2016
ScorecardHampshire hope a move down the order can spark Michael Carberry’s form•Getty Images

There was a heavy sense of sadness about this, the flattest of days, at the Ageas Bowl. Played out in front of a smattering of barely 100 people, a crowd described by one seasoned journalist as the smallest he had seen here for at least a decade; bottom of the table, relegation-threatened Hampshire battled and blocked, nudged and nurdled and waited for the forecasted rain to fall.It is at times like these that a club needs its senior players. In Michael Carberry, Hampshire have one who stood up better than most to some of the fastest bowling in history when Mitchell Johnson ripped England apart in the 2013-14 Ashes. Shortly after that, perhaps harshly, Carberry’s international career came to an end and Dale Benkenstein, the Hampshire coach, revealed it has not been an easy adjustment for Carberry to make. This season season his average hovers around the mid-20s.As part of Hampshire’s attempt to re-motivate Carberry they have shifted him down the order to No. 4 to give him a new challenge and the management will have been pleased with the fight he showed, closing on an unbeaten 37, alongside Sean Ervine in a 52-run stand before play was halted.”We are trying to find some motivation for Carbs,” explained Benkenstein. “I think it’s tough when you don’t have England anymore. You just lose your oxygen. When you’ve had one thing as your goal and suddenly it goes, and you’ve never really thought about anything else – you’ve always wanted to play for England. I’ve seen that with a few senior players in my career as captain.””Physically and skill-wise he could play for many more years, but at this level you have got to have a real hunger to play. Especially as a batsman you have to have that hunger for runs because you are getting a year older and guys are getting faster and better and they have ambition to play for England and you tend to see guys drop off quite quickly.””We’ve found he is actually playing quite well but keeps getting out,” Benkenstein said of the move to bat him down the order. “The new ball is always tough in England and we thought maybe it’s a chance to free him up a bit and take him away from the new ball. Just changing his role gives him a bit of a mini-challenge and we are hoping that stimulates him.”Hampshire will hope Carberry can flourish in the second half of the season. Play began under a warming sun, but as the day wore on, the clouds thickened and darkened and like the looming threat of Hampshire’s relegation, they slowly closed in.When, at 3.18pm the umpires decided the light was too bad for play to continue Ervine and Carberry could hardly have left the pitch much quicker. Less than five minutes later it started to rain and the players never returned.More rain is forecast tomorrow and Hampshire could well escape this match with a draw but having been hoping for rain since mid-afternoon on day one, it will be with a heavy heart that they make the five hour drive to Chester-le-Street on Saturday.This pitch has been very slow, too slow to produce particularly intriguing cricket, and without the blanket of dark clouds under which they bowled on the first day, Somerset must have felt what it was like to bowl several overs in Hampshire’s shoes on day two as the hosts fought admirably against some accurate bowling.Unlike Somerset’s batsmen however, Hampshire’s were unable to convert strong starts into significant scores. All three of the wickets to fall were self-inflicted.Tom Alsop was the first to go when shortly before lunch he was caught at second slip having tried to cut a ball from Peter Trego that was too straight to do so to and angling in further still. Alsop’s wicket ended a stoic partnership of 89 – tellingly Hampshire’s best second-wicket stand of the season.That Alsop received a generous reception from Hampshire’s members for his 53 when he finally reached the pavilion, head bowed, bat hanging limply by his side and dragging along the turf, is perhaps emblematic of the club’s readjusted expectations. A good effort it was, but ultimately not good enough.After the interval Will Smith dragged on to Lewis Gregory and when Liam Dawson’s limp push outside off stump ended up in the hands of second slip there was a possibility Hampshire were not even going to beat the rain, let alone Somerset.After an hour of thick, miserly rain, with darkness enveloping the ground and puddles forming on the covers, the floodlights were unceremoniously switched off. Ten minutes after that, with the ground practically deserted but for a lone member of the ground staff, the PA system echoed around the stadium confirming to no one but the assembled press that play had been abandoned.And with that the lonely groundsman trudged across the outfield and disappeared into the bowels of the stadium, the only sound he left behind him was the gentle patter of rain on the covers as a melancholy day crept slowly towards its end.

India wicketkeeper undergoes plastic surgery as well, to manage injuries suffered during Friday’s car crash

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2022The results of India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s MRI of the brain and spine are normal. He has also undergone plastic surgery to manage his facial injuries, lacerated wounds and abrasions suffered in a serious car accident near Roorkee, Uttarakhand, on Friday morning.Related

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MRI scans of his ankle and knee have been postponed till tomorrow because of pain and swelling.The doctors at Max Hospital in Dehradun have also given him “above knee splintage … for suspected right knee ligament injury, and suspected right ankle ligament injury”. The medical bulletin released by the hospital on Friday evening also said Pant is “stable, conscious and oriented”.The bulletin noted that “prima facie, he had sustained multiple abrasions on right-hand forearm and leg, and lacerated wounds over forehead and near eyebrow, and multiple graze abrasions on the back”.The accident took place in the early hours on Friday, when Pant was driving to Roorkee. His car, which was severely damaged in the accident, is reported to have hit the divider on the road and subsequently caught fire. Pant was initially taken to a local hospital – Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre – where he was treated for impact injuries before being moved to Max Hospital in Dehradun. He had reached the hospital at 6am.Pant, 25, was not part of the India squads for the T20I and ODI home series against Sri Lanka beginning on January 3. He was due to head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for strength and conditioning before the Test series against Australia in February.He most recently played a match-winning innings of 93 in the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur, which helped India clinch the series 2-0.